COVID-19 And Your Wedding Planning: What To Do In The Time Of The Coronavirus

I have been looking forward to the 2020 wedding season immensely, but I know that to all of us the future isn’t very clear at the moment. I have put together a page of information to help provide some guidance on how to handle planning a wedding during the COVID-19 pandemic. As time goes by, we are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel, but as this is an ever-changing situation it is important to take one day at a time.

1| be in constant communication

If you’re considering postponing your wedding, or looking at canceling your wedding because you had a decrease in income, it is really important to speak with your wedding vendors. Be open and honest with them. It is important for them to know where you stand and its important that you know where they stand.

2 | Get the right information from trusted sources

When getting information about Coronavirus, it is best to go to the experts such as Public Health England and World Health Organization. In the UK, one of the best sites to get your information from is The GOV.UK site. I have linked it here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

I use this site almost daily in my nursing job and it provides up-to-date information that is official and accurate.

COVID-19 and your wedding, By Birmingham wedding photographer Lisa Lander

3 | Think about Scaling Down: Elope now and celebrate later

When considering what to do if your wedding day is affected by the Corona Virus, one option is too have a smaller wedding and celebrate with your friends and family later. Many couples are choosing to do small services with just very close families (normally under 10 people, depending on restrictions) and then have a larger celebration later on. If you decide to elope or have a very small ceremony, I am 100% on board. When doing this, we can simply separate these two dates, still included in the same cost. The only caveat is that the party be scheduled before the end of 2021.

4 | It’s ok if you have to POSTPONE, But DON’T CANCEL

One of the best options to look at is rescheduling instead of full out cancelling. It is completely understandable that finances are tight, and you might be concerned if you can afford to reschedule. Talk with your vendors, some of them might have ways to deal with the finances, for example by extending the time to pay before the wedding. Look at a date in the future where you will be better off with your finances.

Once you have an idea on the new dates, start the contacting your wedding vendors to check on availability. Normally the first one you should contact is the venues.

In this current situation, I will do anything I can to accommodate any rescheduled wedding and sessions. If I am unavailable on your new date, then you’ll be set up with an excellent replacement who is gonna give you 100%. Before you rebook, check with your vendors to see if they have availability.

5 | TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

As with any uncertain situation, there’s a huge amount of stress and confusion going around. Use this time to take care of yourself: Drink lot a cup of tea, a glass of wine, or whatever tickles your fancy. Make sure you get lots of sleep take time to sit in your garden and read a book or go for walks as allowed. Speak to friends and family often via video apps such as Zoom and Skype.

6 | What about the GUESTS

When deciding about planning your wedding during the pandemic, it’s important to consider your guests. Some of them may be able to make it and some may not. Those who are in the high-risk category and need to be shielding need to take extra special caution. Double check travel restrictions to see if there are any time-period that require a mandatory quarantine period.

7 | LIVE STREAM

If you decide to go ahead with a smaller wedding or elopement then allow them to be present by streaming it via video. Apps like zoom, whatsapp and other streaming programs will allow your wedding for guest who can’t make it to be included!

8 | MAKE THE MOST OF HAND HYGIENE

We all know the point on good hand hygiene to stop the transmission of the virus, but there are a few ways you can incorporate ways into your wedding. Consider having hand gel at each small table or stations set up for your guests.

I came across a really great tip on incorporating hand gel into your bouquet. Attach a travel-sized bottle to the back the bouquets! You can buy Travel-sized bottles from amazon and fill them with hand gel.

9| SHARE THE MESSAGE

I came across some free templates on CANVA that can be used to help spread the message to family and friends, either in posters or by social media. These free templates can be found here and you can make them with a free CANVA account.