Start a rescue

What to have ready before you reach out

When a vendor cancels or a dress arrives damaged a few days before the wedding, the first conversation goes much faster if the key details are already in one place. Before you fill in the planning form, take five minutes to gather the essentials so nothing important gets lost in the rush.

• Your date and ceremony time, plus the reception start time if it is at a different location.
• The venue and setting: beachfront, resort ballroom, garden, private villa or church. Outdoor sites on New Providence often have their own rules on setup times, generators and vendor access.
• What changed and when you found out. A florist who dropped out two weeks ahead is a very different problem from a hair and makeup artist who stopped replying the night before.
• What is already confirmed, such as your photographer, officiant, cake or transport, so any replacement can fit around them.
• Your guest count and budget range, even if they are rough figures.
• Photos or references: the original floral mock-up, a picture of the dress problem, or the look you had planned.

Keep your contracts close

If a booked supplier has let you down, check your original agreement for cancellation terms, deposit refunds and any substitution clause before you sign anything new. Some contracts require the vendor to find a replacement themselves. For anything involving disputed payments, a local legal adviser can tell you where you stand.

Think about timing on the island

Fabric, specialist flowers and some beauty products may have to be shipped in, and customs and inter-island freight can add days. The earlier a gap is spotted, the more options remain. Our wedding week timeline shows which tasks are hardest to fix late. The emergency plan explains how a rescue is usually worked through, step by step.