You have been dreaming of this day for so long!
It's now June 2020 and we’re sitting in our homes having to consider the possibility of postponing your wedding. It is hard to imagine your friends and family having to wear a mask, carry around hand sanitizer and refrain from getting “too” close to each other while they greet one another with an elbow bump instead of a hug. And although this could hold true for some events, it does not need to hold true for yours.
So, if you are one of the couples that have said, “Party On!” Let us help prepare you and your guests for a safe wedding, so we all can feel comfortable together while celebrating your love!
Planner Power blog:
WEdding Day - What to Expect Upon Arrival
a series of blogs for couples planning their wedding during the covid-19 pandemic
written by a group of professional planners
learn how we can work together →
Understand Your Venue’s Pandemic Policy Changes
While it may seem like regulations regarding COVID-19 are changing from sunrise to sunset (it’s because they are!), it’s still important to understand your local city, county and state social gathering rules. Each Venue and Private Estate will operate under different guidelines, so ensure your Wedding Planner and Venue Coordinator are updating you on any BIG policy changes (keyword: BIG).
Are they still allowing buffet service? Are guests allowed to sit together during the ceremony? Do you need to keep family units grouped together? Will they require a health screening prior to your wedding? Gather the information that has to do with “guest communication” so you know how to communicate these new policy changes to your guests.
I understand this is added stress to your wedding plans but try not to pull out your hair out and try not to contact your planner daily; instead, I recommend following-up either weekly or bi-monthly in order to stay productive and eliminate any anxiety from the day-to-day changes.
Communicating COVID-19 Guidelines PRIOR To Your Wedding Day
BUT WHAT IF I AM MOVING MY WEDDING TO A FAMILY OR FRIEND’S BACKYARD?
Private properties are not being held to the same government social gatherings guidelines as some commercial venues – but this does not mean we should risk the health & safety of our guests. And although there is a little more freedom to relax on a private estate, you should still communicate these considerations to your loved ones.
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The best thing to remember in this situation, is that we are all experiencing this together. And although it may seem even the closest people to us have opposing feelings, we need to take them into consideration and provide options. So, depending on how you choose to move forward with your wedding, you need to allow your guests the option to back out if they no longer feel comfortable attending (and please remember to send them a party favor!).
Depending on how far out your wedding is, there are several ways to communicate these changes:
Call your guests that are most at risk, such as grandma and grandpa, and have an honest conversation with them. But for the other guests, you can choose to include an additional details card in your invitation suite, direct them to your wedding website with a page designated for this or even create a Facebook group page for your friends and family to join. Either way, try to make it as easy as possible on yourself.
What Information Should I Include? My thought is this … No one wants to be surprised on the day-of your wedding. So, the more information we can share with our guests, to make them feel more comfortable upon arrival, the better!
Here are just a few more of my suggestions:
a. Are you requiring masks? If yes, will you be providing your own for guests to wear?
b. Are you or your venue requiring health screenings? If so, please write the instructions they will need to follow including what the will result will be if a failed screening takes place i.e. guests are not permitted onsite if they have a fever of 100.4+ (Will there be security onsite to turn away guests?).
c. Will guests be required to wash hands upon entrance to the venue?
d. Will there be disposable gloves provided in restrooms or a restroom attendant to wipe handles down?
e. Will family units need to sit together?
f. Are hugs to the B & G welcomed? I know this seems so silly, but some of your guests might actually question this. So, if you have some limitations on what you and your fiancé are comfortable with, please don’t be afraid to express them in a polite manner.
g. Will they have the option to self-park vs. valet?
Ensuring Guests Feel Safe
The truth is, there will be some common areas your guests touch, like your guest book for example, and you’ll need to ensure those areas are kept clean and you are able to minimize the risk of spreading the virus. Consider placing hand sanitizing stations along with cute signage throughout the venue, in areas that will attract a large number of guests. Or as another example, you can purchase custom pens for guests to keep after they sign your guest book or provide disposable gloves for guests to wear before they sign – but I strongly recommend signage encouraging guests to wash their hands / use the sanitation stations throughout the evening. And if you have an emcee, have them get in on the fun and remind guests to do this.
Speaking of Emcee
Are you planning on doing a wedding toast? If so, ensure your Emcee has disposable microphone covers and can wipe down the mic in between each guest’s speech.
Restroom’s naturally have a higher volume of traffic – so it’s so important to keep this area clean. Please ensure your venue or house, is well stocked with hand soap and paper towels. Ensure there’s a restroom attendant wiping down the doorknobs and other highly touched areas.
Restrooms
Dancing
This is on the top of most couples mind and probably the most unsettling of safety precautions. Unfortunately, dancing and social distancing don’t go hand in hand, so we have to be a little creative. I still believe it’s possible for you to share your first dance with your husband or wife but I do suggest keeping group dancing to a bare minimum unless it’s possible for all your guests are wearing masks.
Regardless, try your best to have fun! Remember you are surrounded by your family and friends – and ultimately marrying the person of your dreams!
And that’s truly all that matters.
#PPP #PLANNERPOWERPERSPECTIVE
Check out the next blog in our series written by Nahid Global Events here: https://nahidglobal.com/planning-your-wedding-ceremony-in-the-post-pandemic-climate
This is a part of the Planner Power Blog Series:
Amy c. | bride
From my first conversation with Cassie, I knew I had found someone who could help make my dream wedding a reality! She is friendly and super organized. Her experience in planning weddings helped take a lot of stress off of us. I love lists and really enjoyed using the Isle planner software through Cassie. It was an awesome resource to stay organized and know what to do next.
So Knowledgeable and Wonderful
Maddie | bride
We live in SF and had to organize a wedding down in the OC. She was the perfect relay during the whole process, making sure that every time we would come to SoCal, all meetings were lined up for us to make decisions. What's even more amazing was the day of, where we never had to worry about anything. Everything was incredible!
The Most Incredible Wedding Planner
Christie & Kevin | bride & groome
Cassie was awesome to work with, she came to us as a recommendation from our DJ vendor friend, and we were not disappointed! She was there every step of the way, from early morning phone calls to chat about what needs to be done to late-night texts when I needed advice about wedding decor. She even drove our dogs home after the ceremony for us, which was unexpected, but we appreciated it. Thank you so much for making our wedding vision come to life and being apart of our journey.
She Was There Every Step of the Way!
Kellie & Burke | bride & groome
Cassie Howard is by far one of the sweetest and most thoughtful planners I have ever met. As a Bride, you want someone who can guide you, genuinely listen, support you, encourage you and bring your dream wedding to life - Cassie did exactly that! She was always willing to answer any and all questions we had during the planning process. She has an incredible eye for design and knew exactly what my husband and I wanted even with us giving vague descriptions.
The Most Sweetest & Most Thoughtful Planner
Mother of CHLOE | bRIDe
I can't even find the right words to convey my gratitude for the awesome job that Cassie did at my daughter's wedding. She made every part of the wedding perfect and completely stress-free for everyone (including me). Every single email/phone call to her was addressed promptly with resolution. Cassie knows her business and was patient and kind; she is extremely organized and did everything behind the scenes on the day of the wedding.
