Before diving into my own wedding planning story, I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your stories and advice. I've been reading some of the discussions here and feel for all of the brides affected by covid (big or small). Some of the stories are unimaginable. You're all beautiful, strong, and resilient brides. I look forward to your advice 
My current date is scheduled for July 2021. I have all my vendors, wedding dress (still unfitted but due to arrive soon), and my dream venue. Like every bride, I want to have my dream wedding with a full dance floor and celebration. At the moment, I don't feel safe and comfortable having 125 or 150 family members and friends in one space. Thank goodness our venue is a combination of an outdoor and indoor space but still. With the 2nd strain, the concerns about the vaccine, and travel restrictions from Europe & South America that some of our family/guest would face, I would feel better moving my date back to 2022 or even 2023 (who are we kidding 2023 is probly all booked 
). Some guests have already expressed concerns about attending it at all. I would prefer to get legally married on my set date and move the reception at the venue to a later date. I don't want to take the chance of anyone getting sick or making them feel uncomfortable. Financially speaking, I'm also concerned about paying for the cost of 125-150 people when the actual guest list/RSVPs is 20-50 people.
Based on what I've been reading, I'm sure my venue will say they can accommodate 125 people per NJ state guidelines so the show will go on. They would probably also prefer to wait (maybe 2 months out, after I pay them in full) to give me an option to post-pone (at perhaps an additional cost). I understand their POV, they have bills and a staff to pay. I understand and also sympathized.
I'm comfortable with a small/micro wedding or just going to city hall wearing my big ballgown wedding dress and calling it day. I hate the uncertainty around such an important date/event like a wedding with such an expensive price tag. I rather ripe off the band-aid now and decided - either we pay the rest of the money owed and take a chance or take the loss of the deposit money and try to salvage/replan for a small wedding. I'm really torn because I love love love our wedding venue and want the whole big wedding but I guess I also don't really need it. I rather save whatever money we're able to and do something else with it than pay for an expensive wedding and not have it like how we want it. I figured we can still use our other wedding vendors like florist, photographer, and dj in a micro wedding or at another event.
My FH, parents, and MOH all say its up to me and whatever makes me happy which really really doesn't help at all lol. I know they're trying to help but its such a scary and stressful decision to make. I don't want to regret my decision. Invites have not gone out yet. What would you do? What should I do? If you had to do it all over again, based on your experience with wedding venues, would you avoid the back & forth/awkward conversations and have a micro wedding? OR, should I take the lost of the deposit money from the wedding venue (which would be the biggest lost) and do something smaller?
From one covid-bride to another, any advise would be appreciated. Thank you!
