The year 2020 would’ve made a beautiful wedding date had it not been for COVID-19. The pandemic has ruined hundreds of thousands of couple’s plans to tie the knot, and as the crisis rages on into 2021, there is no sign of weddings returning to normal any time soon. No one knows exactly how long gatherings will be restricted for, but for some couples, waiting an extra year to say ‘I do’ just isn’t an option.
Having a COVID-19 wedding will certainly be memorable in its own right, but it needn’t be any less magical than a wedding pre or post-pandemic. Lots of couples around the world have gone ahead with their COVID-19 weddings, creating as much magic as they possibly could and showing that it can be done.
If you’re tired of waiting to marry your forever person and want to join those who took the plunge and tied the knot during the pandemic, here are a few ways you can make the most of a COVID-19 wedding.
1. Venue
Without a venue there is no wedding. The good news is, most venues have relatively open diaries since so many people have cancelled their functions. This means if your dream location was fully booked for your original date, odds are, it’s available now.
The checklist for choosing a venue will be slightly different during a pandemic. You won’t need to worry about how much seating space there is so much as you will need to ensure there is good ventilation and plenty of sanitizing stations.
All venues should be COVID-secure which means you won’t need to think about it too much, apart from figuring out how you’re going to make sanitizing pumps look pretty as part of your décor. Overall, whilst there might be some minor differences, you can cash in on a pandemic wedding by bagging the venue of your dreams. Plus, you’ll likely have it all to yourself!
2. Guests
The biggest and most upsetting part of a COVID-19 wedding for most couples is the fact their guest list is severely restricted. Typically, only immediate family are allowed which means a lot of loved ones won’t be able to see couples say their nuptials – at least not in person. You can (sort of) get around the rules by hosting a virtual wedding!
Have your guests dial in on Zoom/Skype/FaceTime to watch the ceremony and join in on the reception party. As long as you have a tripod and some Wi-Fi, there’s no reason why streaming your wedding isn’t an option. Sure, it’s not quite the same, but everyone will get to watch the important bits and you can still have them dress up as if they were there in real life.
3. Food
Less guests = less mouths to feed. The benefit? Less money needs to be spent which means better food! With so few guests, you can really indulge and ramp up your wedding menu. Weddings tend to feature a buffet or a set menu comprising of soup, some sort of meat dish and a bulk made dessert. Well, a COVID-19 wedding can have all the trimmings when it comes to the menu, so splash out! Whether it’s a takeaway or a gourmet seven-course meal, you can have it all.
4. Budget
If there’s one reason to have your wedding during the coronavirus pandemic, it’s to save money. With venues so desperate for bookings, many have lowered their prices and are available at much shorter notice. The same goes for attire.
The wedding industry as a whole has lost billions of dollars which means many small and independent vendors of things like dresses and suits are desperate for commissions, resulting in lots of them dropping their prices to try and salvage their businesses. If you’ve left your wedding to last minute or have decided to tie the knot spontaneously during 2021, there are likely bargains to be had.
We’ve already mentioned that you’ll save money on food, but pair that with the savings listed above and you could be looking at halving the price of your overall wedding. You can choose to save the money to pay for a celebration later down the line, use it for a down payment on a car or house, or you could use it to take an extended honeymoon when international travel is back to normal.
Summary
Sure, getting married during a global pandemic is less than ideal, but there are lots of silver linings to be found if you look hard enough. Will you be rushing your wedding through to 2021, or will you be waiting until normal life returns?