How to Plan your Wedding During a Pandemic

I know that planning your wedding during COVID can be such a pain. I really understand what you’re going through because I had to deal with it myself. My now-husband proposed to me on July 5, 2020. We had been dating for almost 5 years and I was elated! Because we planned to get married in Chicago, we had some of the strictest COVID restrictions in the country. Venues weren’t open for booking until September, but there were guest restrictions and mask mandates that lasted almost all of our engagement. For the next 5 months after booking our venue, we were only allowed 25 people (including vendors and ourselves) and the next 4 months we were at 50 people. I had made a Plan B and was ready to completely shift to a postponed reception. We ended up being in the “golden period” of summer 2021 for our wedding day! Everything opened up and there were no longer restrictions. I know that other people may not be so lucky, so we need to go over possible ways to accommodate for guests while still under the COVID guidelines.

After looking into the guidelines of your area, you’ll have a good idea of what is required by your county. Make sure to be checking where you will be having your ceremony and reception regularly and as close to the wedding as possible. Your venue may also have more specific guidelines to follow, so you’ll need to follow up with them on their guidelines too. There will be some obvious ways to adhere to guidelines, such as wearing masks and social distancing. But there will be some other ways that you can ensure the safest wedding possible.

Make it Safe - Food and Beverage Alternatives:

The safest option for meal service would be a plated menu. If that is outside of your budget, there are ways to make a buffet-style safer. When serving your meals at a buffet, you can make sure to have servers (with masks) so that your guests aren’t handling your food utensils. You can also pre-package any favors or smaller food items individually so that less people are handling that as well. For your drinks, you can have tableside bar service or pre-poured drinks out for guests so they spend less time congregated at the bar.

Make it Easy - Provide Safety Measures:

Many couples are opting to provide masks and small hand sanitizers for their guests upon entering the venue. You can also ask your venue to have extra spacing between seating if it is possible. If your venue has an outdoor option, ask to see what the cost would be to switch to having your ceremony/reception outdoors - weather permitting, of course.

Make it Visible - Colored Wristbands:

One big way I have seen couples make sure their guests are the most comfortable is with colored wristbands that indicate how closely or how far apart they want to be from other people. If you see someone with a red wristband, that may mean they would like to maintain social distancing and a green wristband may mean they welcome displays of affection like hugs. You can make these match your wedding colors too so it doesn’t take away from the aesthetic.

Make it Accessible - Zoom Alternative:

There is a huge uptick in couples that are opting for an online alternative to attending your wedding like Zoom during your ceremony and the “special events” during the reception. This will definitely help include guests that would like to maintain social distancing or just can’t make it to your wedding. Many entertainment companies are adding this to their options for packages, so make sure to ask your vendors if this is an option.

Make It Known - Signage and Wedding Website Notes:

Making sure your guests know ahead of time the measures you want them to take or are required to take is key. Make sure to tell your family and friends about it ahead of time while discussing wedding planning. If you have a wedding website, you can add it there too. While they are at the wedding and you feel there should be some reminders, you can make welcome signs that briefly explain what is required.

While planning through such a difficult time, just remember that you aren’t alone in this. Everyone planning during this time may have experienced some pushback in some regard because of COVID. Hopefully you find solace with your family, friends, or in wedding Facebook groups while dealing with wedding planning in a pandemic.

If you would like more help to plan your wedding, you can reach out to me at hello@firmlyrootedevents.com. I will get you started on my email list for monthly tips and my checklist so that you can stay on track while planning your wedding.