How to Plan a Wedding during the Pandemic
The impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the wedding industry goes without saying, unexpected and unprecedented. Couples all over the world have had to make impossible decisions of whether to postpone their wedding or move ahead as planned (usually much smaller). As 2021 couples scramble to reschedule their wedding or adjust to a smaller one, we’re here to help guide you through that process. Communication has been a key factor to ensure that you, your wedding professionals, and your guests feel comfortable and safe moving forward.
First things first, congratulations! Regardless of what’s happening in our world, you are entering into a union of two people who love each other unconditionally. Love isn’t cancelled and you deserve to feel the joy of planning your wedding and all that comes with it.
1. Stay Organized or Hire a Professional
Remember, you’re not alone and we are here to help guide you through. If there’s a time to hire a planer, it is now. A wedding planner has the ability to relieve stress and save you valuable time as we work with vendors and venues consistently and have the knowledge, relationships, and benefits to pass along to you. Another key aspect of planning your wedding, is to stay organized. There are a lot of moving parts that go into your big day and when you throw a pandemic into the mix, stress increases. We can be a resource to you and help manage all those moving parts.
2. Identify your Priorities
Consider all options when diving into planning your wedding during the pandemic. Build a list of priorities that are most important to you and your fiancé, whether if it’s securing a specific venue, hiring that photographer that you’ve been dreaming about, or hosting a small and safe celebration with the ones closest to you. Once you’ve prioritized these details, you can start to make appointments with vendors and have a better idea of what is most important to you.
3. Build your Wedding Team
Continue planning! Start vetting out possible vendors that would make a good fit for you and schedule those virtual meetings. Vendors want to be as accommodating as possible as we all understand our current situation. Your wedding venue and wedding planner are a perfect starting point, as we have a preferred vendor list for those we work well with. These vendors have demonstrated superior professionalism and service and are often the best place to get the conversation started.
4. Review your Contracts
Understand your options and where your money is being invested. Like I said, most vendors are very accommodating and understand the stress that is being put on our couples, so feel free to have that open conversation with them. Many contracts are now including the force majeure clause which contains similar language to excuse performance under a contract in the event of an “Act of God.” Be sure to read the fine print and be mindful of these possibilities.
5. Make the best of Plan B
As more and more weddings are being cancelled or postponed, it’s always in the best interest to consider all options and have a backup plan. The reason you have a backup plan, is in the unlikely (fingers-crossed) situation that you’ll need to make a change, you don’t need to scramble and stress to make last minute adjustments. First, revisit your priorities, discuss your options with vendors, and prepare for the worst-case scenario. For some couples, that may be postponing their wedding, having a small ceremony now and big celebration later, or eloping!
6. Communicate with Guests
As we all navigate through these uncertain times, you also want to make sure your guests are comfortable. A few things you can do to keep your guests feeling safe; making sure that they’re aware that you will be taking all necessary steps and precautions to maintain and follow CDC guidelines, communicate any changes if necessary, keep your wedding website up to date, and last but not least, offer a virtual ceremony experience for those who cannot attend. Your wedding planner can assist in all of these steps to keep everyone calm and comfortable.
With all of these necessary steps to proceed with planning your wedding, the important thing to remember is to stay open-minded and flexible. I know – easier said than done – although, at the end of the day, this is a celebration of you as a couple and you deserve to enjoy it. We encourage you to keep planning, focus on the positive, and enjoy the time spent with each other.
