Plan Your Wedding During COVID-19 With Help From Wedivite
In uncertain times such as these, it’s difficult to plan for your dream wedding. We at Wedivite are here to help.
On March 15, 2024 the CDC stated on its website, “Large events and mass gatherings can contribute to the spread of COVID-19 in the United States via travelers who attend these events and introduce the virus to new communities. Examples of large events and mass gatherings include conferences, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events, weddings, and other types of assemblies. These events can be planned not only by organizations and communities but also by individuals.”
Sadly, brides who planned their dream wedding on or after March 15 were left without a plan. Whether your wedding date is changed or just postponed without a date for now, there are steps you can take to be prepared for the future. Since there is no end date to when the world will be somewhat normal again, here are the steps you can take in the meantime to plan your wedding during COVID-19 Pandemic:
Communicate Changes To All Guests
First things first, communicate all date changes as soon as possible to all of the guests. If your wedding is postponed and you have a future date set with the location and vendors, send out digital change-the-dates ASAP. Sending digital invites for the new wedding date is great wedding etiquette.
If Your Wedding Is Postponed Without A New Wedding Date Booked…
On the other hand, if you do not have a secured date to which you will postpone the wedding, an alternative option is to send out ‘Postponed’ cards. Send out digital ‘Postponed’ cards first to communicate the word as fast as possible. If desired, mail out paper postponed cards later with the actual wedding date on them, once the date is decided on. Remember, it’s okay if you don’t know all of the exact details right now! We are in the middle of a pandemic. Just communicate to your guests what you know and what has already been decided on.
Create A List of FAQ For Guests Once The New Wedding Plan Is Made
If your plan is to have a destination wedding, this part is especially for you! Once the new plan is made for the wedding day, create a list of frequently asked questions and list other important wedding details. Think of what your guests will want to know- they might have questions about the hotel room block being moved (if you plan a destination wedding). Or questions about where to ship the gifts, directions to the new venue (if you chose a new one altogether), or how how the venue will accommodate social distancing.
Once the list of FAQ is made, email it to all guests to save yourself from a few hundred phone calls and answering the same questions over and over again. For older relatives who don’t use email or get online, split the phone calls up between you and your partner. This will divide up some of the workload. You can even get your parents to help. Just make sure everyone is on the same page.
To Plan Your Wedding During COVID-19, Have An Open Mind
When choosing a new wedding date, it’s okay to grieve what you had. This is a hard time for everyone, and it’s okay to feel sad that your wedding is either postponed or dramatically changed because of COVID-19. All we can do is continue moving forward- and to that, you need to come up with a new wedding plan.
If your wedding was scheduled for a Saturday, have an open mind when selecting a new date. The reality is that Saturdays for the rest of 2020 may be booked full for your venue. If this is the case, consider a weekday wedding. You will definitely get a raised eyebrow from one or two guests wondering why the weekday. But, this is the year of COVID-19, so we all need to have an open mind. On the positive side, a weekday wedding will definitely save money. Vendors often have different rates for each day of the week. If a weekday wedding is just not for you, consider a Sunday brunch wedding. Or a Friday evening wedding. Work with what you’ve got!
Some Brides Are Embracing the COVID-19 Wedding
Since every beach, park, and scenic outdoor location are closed right now, maybe it’s time to plan the best backyard wedding ever. Some brides are scrapping the guest list and plans they made before COVID-19’s arrival and marrying the love of their lives anyway. It’s a big change from the original plan to not have guests there, but no one saw this pandemic coming! If you really want to get married on your original date regardless of COVID-19, grab your future spouse, a witness, and someone who is ordained. Have the most beautiful backyard wedding you can plan at a time like this, and remember why the day is truly important, anyway. You can always plan a reception once large gatherings are safe again.
It’s important to keep safety first. Remember, beaches and parks are still closed right now but will reopen on a state-by-state basis. Check with the U.S. National Park Service to see if the park nearest you is open or closed.
Take Some Time To Enjoy Your Special Day Anyway
When your originally planned wedding date rolls around but there’s no celebration because of COVID-19, try to plan something fun with your partner. Keep your mind off of what you would have been doing that day and focus on the fact that you still have each other. You will still have the beautiful wedding of your dreams; it’s just on hold for now. On what would have been your wedding day, you could binge watch all of these funny wedding movies. Or have a Zoom party with your closest friends and family. In everyone’s own homes, gather and have a wedding cocktail happy hour over video conferencing. Wear a big white dress, drink champagne, and laugh as they make their toasts and speeches as planned on Zoom instead of in real-life.
COVID-19 may have stolen your date, but your wedding will still be beautiful.