April 22, 2020

A Guide to Downsizing Your 2020 Wedding in the Time of COVID-19

 

Nantucket Wedding Kaleigh and Brian Downsize Your Wedding Post

Feeling stressed? Don’t Panic.

If you are feeling anxious about these new and challenging times we are collectively facing and find yourself in a situation where you may be forced to make changes to your wedding, we urge you to take a few minutes and read this before making any decisions.

You have spent months (possibly even years) planning the perfect wedding, choosing the perfect dress, securing that hard-to-book venue, picking the invitations and then suddenly, the country is grounded by a world-wide pandemic and your plans are forced to change. Though it may seem like there is reason to despair, we are asking you to please press the pause button and hear us out. The stay-at-home orders, wearing of masks, and size limits on groups do not signal the demise of your wedding day. Challenging times call for ingenuity and creativity and we know our couples are able to master both. Depending on your specific state’s social distancing requirements, we’ve got you covered with some really cool alternative options to canceling your day or completely moving it to an entirely new year.

Here are just a few…

Keepin’ it Cozy – Micro Weddings

The micro wedding trend of 40 people or less is another great option that provides couples with an opportunity for a smaller, more intimate wedding. Micro-weddings may already be in vogue but now more than ever, they are integral for those couples who still want to say their “I Do’s” in 2020. While slimming down the guest list may be tricky, the perks are two-fold: it allows for a more intimate ceremony and you will save money on all the things you won’t need to provide. You will literally get to have your wedding cake and eat it too! At the present time, Massachusetts has a 10-person limit on gatherings and while that could certainly change by fall, to be safe many couples have downsized their guest lists to include immediate family only. And though this may seem harsh, considering the unprecedented times we are in, you may be surprised how understanding and accommodating your friends will be, even though you have to technically “cut” them from the list. We are all in this together
and your closest friends are no exception – they will no doubt be cognizant of the situation and want to be supportive in any way they can.

Live-streamed Wedding Vibes

As a result of the shift to remote learning and working, Zoom received a major boost and we are here for it. How can video conferencing technology like Zoom save your big day? Zoom plans allow up to 100 participants by default and up to 500 can participate with add-on plans! And recently, NYC Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order allowing couples to obtain licenses and marry utilizing audio-video technology as well. 1 So, no matter how big or small your invite list is, there is no need to worry about postponing your love – technology ensures your guests can virtually be there for your important day. Just download a reliable video and audio platform and request the email addresses of your nearest and dearest! And what a story to tell the grandkids!

Thursday is the New Saturday

A weekday wedding is not a novel idea. Sorry, we can’t take credit for this one. According to data from the 2018 Real Weddings study, conducted by the wedding-planning website The Knot, approximately one in five weddings has taken place on a Monday through Friday for the past seven years. 2 You do not want to put off your commitment of love one more month, let alone one more year. But as everyone is in a mad panic to move their dates, venues, photographers and caterers are getting booked up for weekends in the fall and winter and even into next season. Psssst, we have a little secret we want to let you in on – Thursday is the new weekend. We don’t know how Thursday ever got such a bad wrap to begin with, as it is really an ideal day for a wedding. And the best part is, you’re more likely to succeed in keeping your vendors on a Thursday.  And you and your guests won’t feel obligated to take up an entire weekend for obligatory wedding with festivities and the additional expenses it entails. In these changing times, we realize what is truly important – and that weekdays aren’t as scary as we thought.

I Hear Eloping Is In…

As the Janis Martin song goes, “Let’s elope baby …The preacher is a-waitin’, and my heart is true.” I mean, that sounds pretty darn charming but let’s face it, in addition to being spontaneous and romantic by nature, elopements can also be PRACTICAL. It’s all of the fun, none of the fuss. All you really need is a reliable officiant, an ideal location, a perfectly crafted playlist and your photographer to capture the moment. And best of all, you can still share it all with your loved ones after things get back to normal by hosting a party to share the video and photographs with your friends and family, so they can feel a part of the celebration of your love.

We hope this Guide to Downsizing Your Wedding in the Time of COVID-19 has been helpful! The most important thing we can communicate to you is that we’re all in this together – TRULY! We, as your vendors, want to help in any way we can. If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, reach out to us. The hashtags #RescheduleDontCancel and #SAVEEVENTS are trending right now and that’s because we want your celebration of love to go on! We’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen. Stay safe, stay healthy and we will see you soon!

1 https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/no-20220-continuing-temporary-suspension-and-modification-laws-relating-disaster-emergency | 2 https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/05/weekday-weddings/590116/

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  1. Samantha says:

    This was an amazing and a very well-written article. here’s a guide for guests if you’re attending a wedding in Corona times! https://www.weddingwishlist.com/wedding-board/corona-guests-guide/

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