In the past, a canceled wedding most likely meant two things: cold feet by the bride or groom, or they decided married life wasn't for them. In other words, a global health crisis was never an excuse.

The coronavirus and 2020 brought on a whole new meaning for postponed events and ceremonies, and now in 2021, the catchup begins. Brides and grooms who needed to postpone their nuptials due to COVID-19 may find themselves starting from the beginning again. 

For some, the stress and aggravation of picking a new date, chopping a guest list and rescheduling vendors strongly test a couple's foundation. For others, a fresh start means replanning a wedding differently – possibly one they wanted all along.

A New York City bride recently went viral on TikTok announcing her plans to sell her entire wedding for a bargain $15,000. When COVID hit, Mackenzie Newcomb and her fiancé, Ben Jerrom, abandoned their glitzy Brooklyn wedding for a much more intimate affair at her grandparent's house in Hingham, Mass. 

"We just really, really wanted to be married. We didn't want to wait a year just for this party," Newcomb said.

Everything from the venue to the floral arrangements and photographer is covered. All that is left is for Newcomb to pick one out of the dozen serious inquiries she received on her video to take over what was once her dream wedding.

The one thing the pandemic has given engaged couples? Perspective. 

As infection numbers go down and vaccinations go up, many New York COVID couples may feel some relief and hope about the unknown of their big day.

"The tide is turning against COVID-19 in New York, and thanks to our increasing vaccination rates, as well as our successful, data-based regional approach, we're able to take more steps to reopen our economy, help businesses and workers, and keep moving towards returning to normal," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a press conference on May 3. 

Cuomo announced an easing of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on businesses, gatherings and venues. Starting May 10, the outdoor social gathering limit will increase to 500, and on May 19, the indoor social gathering limit will increase to 250. This means it is up to the couples to decide if hosting 250 people can be done safely and what measures must be in place to ensure the party doesn't turn into a super spreader event.

"People are hosting [events] anyway, so codifying what is necessary to do it safely and having consistency across vendors increases the odds that weddings won't be unsafe gatherings," says NYC wedding planner Michelle Rago.

While COVID restrictions may be temporary, a stray from traditional wedding traditions and customs may be impacted for good. The pandemic has shifted how couples view weddings, including a deviation towards smaller ceremonies, elopements and outdoor receptions. When the average cost of a wedding reception per couple is $23,000, it is no wonder destination weddings are being traded for backyard barbecues. Some have even taken advantage of a cut guest list to host their ceremony inside gardens, cafés and museums.

"I am in a few different Rochester bridal groups on Facebook," says Shannon McGinnis, who was forced to postpone her fall 2020 wedding to this summer. "Most brides either had a small ceremony on their original 2020 date and are having a larger celebration this year, or they postponed getting married this year. Some brides postponed their wedding over three times."

In a Wedding Report survey, 21% of couples are or have postponed to later in 2020, and 41.5% have moved their big day to 2021.

With heightened cleanliness awareness, vendors must lay out detailed sanitation practices and update "force majeure" contract clauses to include pandemics. Sit-down dinners will also take over for family-style buffet meals. 

As life slowly transitions back to normal, couples can look forward to tying the knot with excitement in the busiest wedding season ever. 

"Despite COVID, I look forward to finally calling my fiancé my husband! I cannot wait to begin this new chapter in our lives together," says McGinnis.

Not even testing, masks and social distancing can damper what will be one of the best moments of a couple's life. 

Here's to 2021 and more celebrations in safety.