You’ve got a bundle of joy on the way! But your big day is coming up. Should you postpone your wedding if you’re pregnant?
First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage? Um, not exactly in that order.
Listen, it’s 2025. Many of us are living together, buying homes, and starting families before we walk down the aisle. And that’s great! There’s no timeline that every single person has to follow.
But if you’ve been planning your big day only to be surprised by two little pink lines, you might wonder if pushing things off is the best option. Should you postpone your wedding if you’re pregnant? Just like any other decision, there are benefits and drawbacks.
Consider the specifics
Obviously, a lot will depend on your specific circumstances. If you just got a positive test and your wedding is 6 weeks away, there’s probably no need to postpone (unless being pregnant really impacts your idea of an ideal wedding day — more on that below). If you’ve just found out and your wedding is 9 months away, then postponing is probably the safest option (unless you don’t mind going into labor during your first dance).
What if your wedding is 5 or 6 months away, though? You could really go either way. If that’s the case, you’ll want to think about the following.
Image courtesy of Gelfman Photography
Your ideal wedding day
You’ve been thinking about your wedding for a long time. When you envision your “perfect” day, what does it look like? Are you tasting all the sushi rolls you requested for cocktail hour, zipped up into a formfitting gown that’s already been ordered? Are you sipping your signature cocktail, living it up at an after party or toasting with your girls as you get ready? Or are you more focused on being with friends and family, dancing to a few of your favorite songs, and reveling in the joy of finally being a “Mrs.”?
There’s no right or wrong answer. But there are certain things you shouldn’t do when you’re pregnant — if your ideal day involves a lot of those things, you may want to think about postponing.
The importance of having a wedding
How important is having a wedding to both you and your fiancé? Because in reality, all you need to do is fill out some paperwork, head to the courthouse, and boom — you’re married. No big party, fancy dress, or loud music required.
Truthfully, life will get a lot more complicated once you’ve got a little one in the picture. You may find yourself too busy to make a wedding happen on top of caring for baby. If you’re okay with that possibility, then postponing may be a good idea. If your heart is set on a traditional wedding, you may want to carry on as scheduled.
Image courtesy of KP Media
Deposits and other non-refundable payments
You may be okay with postponing until after your pregnancy, but then you think about the money you’ve spent. Many venues consider their deposits and payments to be non-refundable, and won’t carry over existing payments to a new date. That may not be the case for ALL venues, but you’ll want to check your contract and talk with venue staff to confirm.
The same goes for any other vendor you’ve hired. If you’ve made a lot of deposits already and your vendors won’t honor those payments for a postponement, that could impact your decision.
Vendor availability and guests’ schedule
You’ll also want to think about your vendor team’s availability. Chances are, you booked some of them far in advance of your original date. They may or may not be available for your postponed date.
Your guests matter too! If there are certain people you would definitely want by your side, determine a possible postponement date and check in with them on their availability.