5 ideas to help you plan the perfect wedding in these uncertain times
For the past 24 years, we have had the privilege of photographing couple’s wedding ceremonies.
In the last few months, we have seen a dramatic change in the wedding industry due to the Coronavirus – COVID-19. Couples are still getting married, but they’re having to be creative and think outside the box with how to execute their wedding. We have been in a unique situation because as wedding photographers and videographers we are exposed to and see all different types of weddings: large-scale and expensive, all the way to courthouse ceremonies, backyard weddings, and everything in between.
We’ve seen more weddings than even a typical venue owner or wedding planner because we attend such a wide variety of weddings. Because of this, we are in a unique situation to help you brainstorm how couples are doing their weddings during these difficult times. Couples are all still getting married. Love will not stop. Romance will never end. Just the wedding’s ceremonies and parties are changing. I spend most of the day Monday through Friday (sometimes even Saturday) talking with brides and this is what I’m hearing as they plan the next six months or so.
Think small, short and safe
1) Wedding sizes are becoming much smaller due to the coronavirus. What we are typically seeing is always under 50 people, sometimes 10 or under. The average is about 20 to 25 people at weddings up through fall of 2020. Starting after January 1st, 2021, we are seeing couple’s planning weddings that are over one hundred people due to the fact that we are all being optimistic that 6 months from now things will be very different and the climate for weddings will be much more favorable. But, for now you can still get married, most likely with fewer people in attendance.
Get creative! This bride (pictured in the middle) got creative and had fun with her mask. She asked her seamstress to cut a section of her wedding outfit and had it custom made to match.
2) Short. We are not seeing as many all-day wedding events. In an effort to minimize exposure, human-to-human contact and enforce social distancing, couples are planning much shorter weddings – anywhere from an hour to 4 hours. We are not seeing 8-12 hour, all day events or even multi-day events at the moment. We are seeing the longer weddings start to pick up again after January 1st, 2021.
3) Two weddings. We’re also seeing a trend toward couples hosting two small weddings. One in each city where each set of parents lives. For example, maybe there’s one small wedding in Miami if the bride or groom’s parents reside here and then another small wedding in New York, Boston, or Chicago. This is done keeping in mind that some people just don’t want to travel at the moment during COVID-19 and this is a very simple way of still having a wedding, still getting married and still honoring both sides of the family.
4) Hire your own officiant. We used to see a lot of courthouse weddings, but many of the courthouses are restricting who is allowed to attend the wedding in the ceremony room at the courthouse. Some of the courthouses are only allowing the couple to be in the ceremony, not allowing family, friends or photographers. The best solution we are seeing is couples are not getting married at the courthouse. Instead, they are hiring their own officiant (there are many licensed notarized officiants available in the area) and scheduling the wedding at their convenience either in a backyard or on the beach or at a park. By hiring their own officiant to conduct the wedding ceremony, the couples have much more flexibility and control over the details of their wedding and who they can invite to attend.
5) Live streaming. Another popular trend we are seeing with couples is live streaming of the ceremony. Since many family and friends are feeling uncomfortable traveling at the moment, many of our clients are requesting that we offer live streaming of the ceremony so that their friends and family in other cities or countries can view the ceremony and feel like they’re being part of the wedding. Although this has been requested a few times in the past this year, the popularity of live streaming has really taken off, especially due to the recent demand of Zoom, FaceTime and similar services.
Get married. Be safe. Have fun!
Above all, during the wedding planning, we are seeing that clients and vendors are all being very accommodating, cautious and wanting everyone to feel safe and comfortable. Each wedding is different. Each venue has their own guidelines. But what is most important is communication among everyone so that safety expectations are met and utilized so people not only feel safe but have fun at their event. We’ve noticed a lot of cooperation and sensitivity regarding safety protocol during this time and we are encouraging you to know that you can hold your wedding, have fun, celebrate your big day and be safe.
And finally, the most important is that you enjoy your day! Weddings are celebration! Weddings are supposed to be fun. Weddings are filled with emotion, and they still can be during these times. We’re even seeing a level of levity and humor during the weddings to accommodate safety protocols, which can alleviate some of the normal tension or stress that we see at weddings.
So, have fun, get married, and be safe!