Continuing to Plan your wedding with COVID-19 – Tips from the Professionals 

I don’t know about you, but life has been crazy for me in these past 3 months. Our world in the midst of a global pandemic, an incredible Civil Rights movement, and maybe in your case, wedding planning. With so much going on and our attention and energy being poured into so many different cups, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, and just flat out, TIRED. For so many of our couples, they are in a season of “just wanting to get the wedding over with”.

Hearing this statement breaks my heart for them, but I get it. We have been on a rollercoaster of emotions and spent countless hours going back and forth over what we can and can’t do at a wedding. How far do we distance tables? Can we do a first dance? How are we expected to flip ceremony into reception with no cocktail hour? More importantly, how do you keep your guests safe? How do you ensure guests are comfortable, and having fun? SO many unknowns, so much left to interruption. I knew early on, I wanted to do what I could to make a difference and speak up for our clients. I joined forces with 2 incredibly talented wedding planners in Columbus to create a board of trusted and respected vendors in our state to represent our industry and the needs of our clients. We hustled hard for 2 months, and are grateful to finally announce that dance floors and congregating are open with social distancing! This news comes as a huge sigh of relief for all our couples still holding out hope for their 2020 wedding day. So as a team, we came together to discuss some ideas on how to move forward with your day, and some guidelines to think about.

 

C + K – Kyle Long Photography

 

What we know:

-Events up to 300 people are permitted in the state of Ohio, although the guest count allowed is solely based on how many your venue can hold with the required 6ft distancing from table to table (or technically chair end to chair end)

-Congregating is now allowed, but encouraged to keep 6ft distancing at all times, IE bars, cocktail hour, photobooths, etc.

– Dance floors are open. Bring your dancing shoes, and keep your distance (anyone else remember “leave room for the holy spirit”?!) You probably will not be hearing “Too Close” by Next play at your next event anytime soon.

-Ceremonies are not affected by these guidelines and regulations, unless your ceremony is held in the same space and “flipping” will be required.

– You may now host an event on your own private property and these guidelines do not have to apply.

– Employees are required to wear masks. Although your guests are not required, you can expect to see your vendors dawning a face covering.

 

For more rules and guidelines, shoot us an email. We would love to chat with you about what we know and how we can help.

 

J + K – Kismet Visuals

 

Now that your guests can congregate, the feeling of hosting a wedding that wasn’t going to look or feel like a wedding has been technically lifted. But I want to unpack another idea. A vision I have for the (immediate) future of weddings…

What if you switched it up one time (insert your favorite JLO + AROD tic toc impersonation)? What if you threw a celebration just for you two? Or for you two, and 20 of your closest friends and family? What if you took that budget you had and threw an absolute banger with everything you ever dreamed? A backyard blowout? An island getaway? A moroccan dessert ceremony? A hike and elopement up Mt. Kilimanjaro? A romantic rooftop reception in Santorini? Think about it. All joking aside, life is different now. Any sense of normal we have had is gone. What we know of wedding ceremonies and receptions are changing. People (your guests) are feeling things. We ALL are feeling things. Emotions we haven’t felt before, and I think we need to be sensitive to that. Yes, your family and friends love you so dearly and will absolutely travel to be a part of this pivotal moment in your life. Is that safe right now? You tell me. And if your answer is probably not, then I encourage you to dig deeper. Sit down with your partner and individually make a list of 5 things that are most important to you for your wedding day (ie: getting married, the food, the party, the view/decor, etc etc). How do you want to remember your wedding day? What story do you want to pass down from generation to generation? I have never had a couple who hosted an intimate wedding tell me they wish they invited more people. But I have heard endless couples say their day flew by, and they wish they had more time with everyone who came. I encourage you to think about what is important to you guys, and do it! There are no rules anymore. You can pave your own way, and we will be right there with you every step.

(Stay tuned for our backyard elopement blog coming soon)

 

C + B – Asteria Photography

 

C + B – Asteria Photography

 

Now that you sat through my rant, I’d be happy to share some of the incredible ideas our team came up with for your larger gatherings. If you want more help on ways to keep your guests safe, and entertained on your wedding day, send us an email, we would love to hear from you!

 

Ideas for the *new* normal.

-Spaced out dancing. This looks like grids, lighting on the dancefloor, floor markers or dots (think Twister) that guide people into the proper socially distanced placement.

-For medically compromised or elderly guests, consider an intimate pre-ceremony so you have one-on-one time and aren’t put at risk of congregating with other guests.

-Have an intimate or private ceremony and/or reception and share it via live stream, zoom, or a custom website, like this one we created!

-Add something fun, or new that your guests haven’t experienced before to keep them entertained, like comedians or dueling pianos, karaoke, or open mic for speeches that will engage guests who may not be comfortable dancing yet.

-Rethink your spacing! Get creative with your floorplans. Utilize the outdoors/open air environments on site. Have tables outdoors, create spaces with soft seating, or cab tables with chairs. Throw a live musician out there to create a vibe.

– Review your guest list. We all know this is the easiest way to cut costs, and save money when planning your wedding. I encourage you to be mindful of older guests, or those with medical issues.

 

 

At the end of the day, this is YOUR wedding. It’s about your love story and how you want to officially kick off your life together. Don’t let yourself feel pressured to conform to the norm, or keep up with the Jones’. Make your day whatever you want it to be, and let the professionals take it from there! We love you. Be well, and be kind to each other. Until next time..

 

XO

Courtney

Featured Image: M + L – Lex King Photography