How to Uninvite People to Your CoronaWedding
If you didn’t know, I’m getting married this year. It’s been a dreadful experience, to be quite honest. As the coronavirus pandemic has gotten worse, we made the decision to reduce our 50-person wedding to 30 guests, and then again from a 30-person wedding to just immediate family — 15 people total, including the happy couple.
As if making these decisions wasn’t hard enough, we then ran into a new problem: David and I sent out save-the-dates a year ago and have been discussing the wedding with friends and extended family ever since. How are we going to politely tell them that they’re no longer invited to a microwedding?
I tried Googling what other people are saying, but only found examples for those who canceled their wedding altogether, or who postponed to a later date. But what about those of us who simply wanted to uninvite people from a wedding that, in every other way, was still going on as planned?
So, I put pen to paper and got writing. (This is one of many life situations in which having a writing skillset is a huge boone.)
If you’re a wedding planner, another type of wedding pro, an engaged person, or a family member helping the lovebirds plan, I hope you find the following copy of my notes helpful as you politely uninvite people from your 2020 or 2021 wedding.
What I Included in the Envelope
Inside each wedding uninvitation, I included a copy of the original invitation (we had already purchased these, pre-COVID), and the uninvitation note. I hand-wrote each note, which I would highly recommend you do, too. Getting these printed may save you a few hand cramps, but writing them personally will come across as thoughtful and sincere (which may help if you’re hoping the uninvited guests still purchase a gift from your wedding registry).
The Univitation Note
Here’s my swipe copy for your handwritten “univitation” note:
Dear [Name],
I’m writing to you with sad news. Although a wedding invitation is enclosed, [Partner] and I have made the heartbreaking choice to cancel our invitation to you and limit guests to immediate family only. Please know that we love you dearly and wish you could be there on our special day, but we believe this is the safest decision for all involved. Thank you for your understanding, and for thinking of us with love on [wedding date] as we exchange vows.
Love,
[Partner & Partner]
