10 Tips for Having Your Wedding in a Socially Distanced World
The COVID-19 crisis has greatly affected the lives of people across the world. Strict regulations and health protocols are being implemented worldwide–social distancing, wearing of masks and face shields, avoiding crowded places, etc.. Good news is that social gatherings are now allowed but should be done based on guiding principles by the CDC and also by your state.
Many couples consider cancelling or postponing their wedding and wait until the pandemic crisis is settled first. There are also those who wish to proceed with the wedding no matter the circumstance. Fortunately, there are ways to have your wedding during the pandemic and celebrate this wonderful and memorable occasion without putting everybody at risk. Here’s our top tips from the weddings we’ve photographed as things have opened that help keep people safe and allow you to still have the best day ever!
10 BEST WAYS TO HAVE A WEDDING IN A SOCIALLY DISTANCED WORLD
1. Add a virtual viewing option to your wedding
If you have to limit your number of guests and also for the guests who have health risks or are not comfortable traveling stream your wedding so people can still watch along and still be a part of the celebration! Zoom has become the most preferred streaming service for events like a wedding day. It is user-friendly and can have up to 1,000 devices in a single call so you can invite everybody you like to celebrate your wedding with. The best option is to hire someone to do this for you so you don’t have to worry about monitoring, devices, and the wi-fi situation. There are videographers and companies who do offer this service.
2. Consider moving your wedding outdoors
An outdoor wedding is also a good option if a virtual wedding doesn’t seem appealing to you. Outdoor venues have proper ventilation and often have a spacious area where you can arrange guests’ seats according to the prescribed safe distance. You may consider having your wedding ceremony and reception in your own backyard or a private residence. It will feel more personal and intimate having it done in your own home plus the upside of great savings on venue rentals. Social distancing and other precautionary measures still have to be properly observed of course if you take this option.
3. Trim your guest list
As much as you want to invite everybody, you may need to trim down your guest list and keep a small party for your wedding day. Many venues are limited by capacity and smaller numbers are required. Keep in mind your friends and relatives who may have health risks and what we’ve seen so far is that our couples have still invited them but they have decided not to come due to their own comfort level.
4. Celebrate small this year, big next year
If you opted to postpone your wedding until next year you can still celebrate this year! Several of our couples who have opted to postpone are having a small ceremony on their actual wedding date and getting married and then throwing the big party next year. It will definitely be memorable and you will get to have 2 anniversaries instead of 1!
5. Virtual shopping of gowns and other wedding needs
Luckily, there are e-commerce shops now like Nordstrom, Wear Your Love and other local specialty shops where you can buy bridal gowns including wedding accessories and related needs. They’ll have it conveniently delivered to your home as part of their sales service.
6. Add some fun social distance things for your guests
We’ve seen some really creative things couples have done to make all the socially distance precautions fun for their guests. We’ve seen masks that color coordinate with the wedding colors for guests to wear during the ceremony or reception. Another idea I thought was really creative was having different colored bracelets for your guests to let others know their comfort level in approaching them like green for it’s ok to approach and talk to them or red for stay 6 feet away. Another cool idea is to have a little sanitizer for each guest with your wedding # or a fun saying.
7. Add in some fun extras
Cocktail hours and open dances or those activities that have close contacts are prohibited in some places so you may consider omitting these too just to be on the safe side. Opt to hire a professional photo booth or flip book who has clear safety regulations that is a fun and safe activity for your guests. With a smaller guest count you may be able to add things like we’ve seen nitro ice cream, gelato cart, or espresso cart all served behind plexi with all safety precautions in place.
8. Be extra nice to your wedding vendors
Your team of people is there to make sure you have the best day ever! At the same time, they are potentially exposing themselves and it is a risk but one that they are willing to take. They will all be wearing masks and following proper safety procedures which is much more strenuous then under normal conditions. Ensure your venue will have a space for your photographer/videographers/band/dj to eat and take a break without a mask for a little bit if needed.
9. Encourage guests to follow safety guidelines
Please respect and adhere to the guidelines your venue has in place and encourage your guests to as well. They are doing the best they can to ensure that you, your guests, and all staff are safe while ensuring your wedding goes off without a hitch! Many of these guidelines includes wearing face masks, wash their hands frequently or sanitize with alcohol, maintain at least a meter of distance from each other during the wedding and providing sanitizing stations throughout.
10. Let love win
Getting married in these difficult times might be the last thing on other people’s minds. For couples who both have been through a lot of unwanted stress and anxiety, let love guide you in the end. From what we have seen so far, our weddings have been extra amazing because everyone is so happy to be able to celebrate and thankful to have family and friends there. Love wins and is always the reason to celebrate!!!