Right now, whether you’re planning a wedding at home or abroad, there are countless moving parts surrounding COVID-19—and what it means for your event, specifically, really depends on your wedding date, guest count, location, and extent of travel involved. Yet, with vaccinations rolling out far too slowly and cases and deaths continuing to rise dramatically, it’s hard to know exactly when the U.S. will put this phase behind us.
At this point, it’s safe to say that any wedding in the near future will look different. But nothing, even corona can’t stop love. So, to help you prepare for what you should do to have a successful wedding during the pandemic, we’ve written this article.
· Consider Electronic-Only Wedding Communications
With the evolving changes regarding COVID-19, it would be a real bummer to have your invitations printed with guidelines regarding masks, only to have things change again. For this reason, it may be wise to consider a website or electronic means of inviting your guests to your event. That way if things change, you can alert your guest list with the click of a button.
However, with more and more people getting vaccinated and restrictions beginning to ease up, more and more engaged couples are feeling confident enough to set that wedding date. So, you can consider that as well.
· State Expectations Upfront
If you’re having an indoor party, just as you would let them know the wedding dresscode, you also need to let people know ahead of time that they need to bring masks if they’re unvaccinated. If you’re providing masks, let your guests know this on your invitations and have them available at the entrance. That way there’s not an uncomfortable conversation as your guests arrive. As people are walking in for your special day, make your masks a fun little favor that they can take home to remember the event.
· Space Out Arrival Times
To prevent your guests from congregating at the entrance of your event, consider a fluid arrival time for your reception. You might even consider staggering arrival times on your invites so your guests arrive in waves rather than all at once. Consider seating your most vulnerable members of your family, such as older guests, at their own table, taking care to provide six feet of spacing.
· Create Enough Space
If you’re having an indoor or outdoor event, assess your space. If things feel cramped where your guests can’t safely maintain social distancing guidelines, expand tables and chairs. Consider renting extra tables to ensure all guests can maintain a safe distance.
· Devise An Objective COVID Plan
You don’t want to put people in the position of deciding between their physical safety and their fear of missing out. You should only host your wedding if every guest who is medically cleared has easy access to a vaccine and is vaccinated by the time of the nuptials.
This plan allows for no gray area. You don’t have to rely on your gut feeling about whether your decision is endangering the most important people in your life. It will be a hard call to make no matter what, but knowing that the situation will clearly either meet the guidelines or it won’t make it a bit easier.
· Understand What Communication Patterns to Expect
Many wedding vendors, like hotel block coordinators, have been hit hard by the pandemic and maybe working limited hours. The event coordinators at your venue are down to 20 hours per week. It’s a good idea to ask what response times you can expect so you limit frustration down the line. And get ready to put that Zoom experience to work.
