How to Cancel a Party
Canceling a party is never fun, but SH*T happens. Kids get sick, family comes first and global pandemics are a thing.
This post outlines some of the critical considerations and provides some tips for how to gracefully and effectively ….
So, you've decided to postpone or cancel an upcoming party. What do you do now?
First, you're not wrong to cancel, and no one is wrong to be disappointed. It's all a natural part of the process. The only thing that can be done is to put a little thought and consideration into how you cancel.
The more notice you can give your guests, the better. As soon as you have any inclination that you will be canceling the party let people know. Be brief but outline the basics. If possible, transparency is always appreciated. If you are not in a place to be fully transparent, make that clear to your guests.
With more than 48 hours' notice, an email will suffice. Anything less than 48 hours’ notice requires a personal phone call or text. That being said, whenever possible, make it personal. A personal call, voicemail, or text goes a long way to make people feel considered versus a mass email regardless of your timeline. If you have a considerable amount of time, consider sending a card in the mail.
If you sent the invitation electronically via Paperless Post, my favorite E-invitation site, send an update through the system and an additional direct email to your guests. Sometimes emails from these systems go directly into promotional folders.
Double-check the email subject line before sending it out to ensure the message is clear. For example, IMPORTANT is much more eye-catching than UPDATE.
If you are personally unable to alert your guests delegate the task to someone who can and ensure, they understand the urgency. Communication is the most critical step in the process.
Do you know what bad news loves? Good news! If possible, identify a new party date and let your guests know at the same time as you break the bad news. At least two weeks' notice is a general rule of thumb for a reschedule. Don't forget to resend a new invite with the updated party date in a separate communication!
If you feel unable to reschedule at the moment, ensure guests that you will reach out soon when you feel comfortable making that decision.
While rescheduling your event will make the bad news easier to take, so will a light tone. Include a funny picture, maybe even a meme. Start with the details and close with gratitude. Thank your friends and family for their support and understanding.
The next step is to move on and focus on keeping your SH*T together. Undoing party preparations can be overwhelming and potentially costly. Most vendors have cancelation policies in their contracts, and some vendors may offer a reschedule option, so all hope is not lost on that front. [Events by JBK cancellation policy.]
Save the decorations! Have a family-only party and enjoy the food and treats that may spoil. Whatever can be frozen freeze. Maybe even do some batch cooking and eat the leftovers the following week. Unopened packages can be returned or better yet saved for a later date.
Yes, it's a bummer, but we all understand. Respecting your own boundaries and the boundaries of others is such an important lesson to teach our littles. We're all just doing the best we can with the information we have in front of us. Don’t stress, keep calm and postpone.
People do ridiculous things, postponing or canceling a party is not one of them. See if you can follow along with this simple yet powerful logic in meme form about one of my all time favorite movies. Also, can you name that movie?
