Tips for Planning a Wedding in a Pandemic
Planning a wedding is really stressful, and if you’re doing it yourself, even more-so.
It’s definitely do-able and in my opinion, a worthwhile experience to see your unique creative vision of the day come to life. – More on that in a bit.
The number one tip I could give to my clients regarding Covid and their weddings is to STAY FLEXIBLE.
Staying flexible means not getting married to the idea of a particular date, location or setting for your wedding. This is mostly something you should do to protect yourself. Going with the flow means you’ll be way happier if your unique vision for the day is altered. (Often a lot!)
People who are flexible in their weddings in my experience, seem to be the happiest on the day, and when things don’t go to plan, nobody notices because you’re too busy being happy and having a great day. – After all – Fans of Schitt Creek will know: “It doesn’t matter where we get married”, because at the end of the day, it’s one day, and you’re marrying for life!
Some people won’t make it. It’s harsh, but some people just won’t make it. For these people, you can offer a livestream of the event. Please whatever you do, don’t invite people to this livestream if they’re friends who didn’t make the cut. You might want them to watch you get married, but this can be an insult to those people who don’t get to partake in the reception fun later on. Tread with caution!
Book flexible vendors and be prepared! – Do your vendors have a plan or clause in place if the state shuts down weddings? It’s getting less and less likely this will be needed as vaccines slowly roll out, but it doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Make sure you ask your vendors when you book – “What happens if we have to postpone for Covid?” A great vendor will look to accommodate the change nobody could help. This will mean different things with different types of services. – A photographer like me can postpone, but a cake made right before lockdown has still been made for you, after all! – Dessert anyone?
Keep it simple! – The less you have to book, the less stress you’ll have if the worst happens and weddings shut down again. Like I said, it’s unlikely, but unlikely is a kind way of saying slightly possible.
At the end of the day, nobody can predict anything perfectly at the best of times, let alone in a pandemic. Go with the flow as much as you can and keep it fun. Remember - Weddings are parties too!