Covid Wedding Planning
Well here is a topic I never thought I would be writing a blog post about, covid wedding planning. I am sure I am not the only one who never in a million years thought that we would be living through a pandemic and having to change so many things about our day to day lives. Not only has covid changed so many things for so many people but it has MAJORLY affecting multiple industries with the wedding industry being one of the biggest ones hit. Weddings are literally everything that we are not suppose to be doing right now, gatherings of multiple people, dancing and partying and generally being close together. It’s sad to see just how much this pandemic has changed weddings this year but there is a major silver lining I have been seeing in 2020. Couples are still getting married and celebrating their love for one another and I LOVE it!!!
I like to try and write educational and planning blog posts every once an awhile and one topic I have yet to speak on this year has been planning for a covid wedding! As mentioned it has not only affected the wedding industry (vendors have been hit hard this year) but also it has thrown a huge wrench in so many couples wedding plans! Rules have changed and changed which are necessary to try and limit the spread but is a massive challenge when trying to plan any sort of event right now.
Although my 2020 wedding season has been hit hard I still had the pleasure of getting to capture some short and sweet ceremonies, intimate private property events and even full weddings with the numbers that were allowed and I wanted to write some tips to help couples still planning for their special day despite what a mess planning a wedding during these times has turned into.
1. Make a Guest List and Then Make it Again
With the rules ever changing it is best to make multiple guest lists for any scenario that might occur. As of right now wedding venues can still have up to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors but that is not the case for private property events. At a private property it is limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. This changed at the end of September and threw some plans for a loop as couples had to re-evaluate their guest lists again! My best advice is to make a 50 (or 100 depending on your wedding) person guest list, a 25 person guest list and a 10 person guest list just in case circumstances continue to change leading up to your date. That way you aren’t stressing over who to cut at the last second should numbers change again.
2. Provide Custom Masks and Hand Sanitizer as Favours
Masks and hand sanitizer are the new wedding trend this year! Since you are probably going to be providing masks and sanitizer for your guests to use anyways why not make it part of your favours and have custom masks and sanitizer bottles for your guests to use and take home! What a better way to get to remember their friend or family members covid wedding!
3. Plan an Elopement
What some of my couple have done this year is have a small elopement style wedding ceremony with their closet friends and family and plan to have a big party at a later date. You still get to have the special ceremony with your loved ones and tie the knot! It may not be the big wedding you initially had planned but you still get to marry the love of your life, plus parties can always be had later.
4. Check Venue Rules and Stick to Them
If you plan to get married at a wedding venue there are many rules they must adhere to now with government regulations and covid rules. Be sure that you are aware of what is allowed and what is not. For example, when masks must be worn and when it is okay to remove them, how far apart you must remain from other guests and also be aware that currently no group dancing is allowed. The rules change constantly so be sure you are up to date and know what is allowed at your wedding venue.
5. Have Back-Up Plans
Having a back up plan is probably one of the best tips I can place on this list! If the rules change make sure you have a plan for cutting guests, changing locations or even postponing your date. Nothing is more stressful then getting close to your wedding and not knowing what to do if the rules change on the fly. It’s just like having a rain plan, its best to be over prepared then not prepared enough!
6. Love Wins
And last, just remember no matter what happens at the end of the day you get to marry the love of your life and your best friend! Even if your plans change, guests can no longer attend or you can’t have the big wedding you were dreaming of, just remember that love is always the most important thing! Plus just think, years from now you will get to tell the story of how you got married in a global pandemic. Your covid wedding is a pretty unique and cool story to be able to tell!
All in all 2020 has throw everyone for a loop and I hope that this blog post can spread a little light on the wedding planners out there! If you ever have any questions reach out to your wedding venue and vendors. This is a brand new situation for everyone but we are all trying to get through this together and doing the best that we can! Also please remember to be as understanding as possible with your wedding vendors as well, like I said, this is tough for everyone and we all need to give each other a little grace.
Here’s to things at least getting back to some kind of normal sooner then later!
Sincerely,
