Being a COVID-19 Bride
Planning a wedding is a job onto itself. There is so much planning involved. Who knew brides would be dealing with the usual motions as well as a pandemic? On many levels, it's an emotional drain on those getting married.
This was pretty much my face when I had to deal with my own wedding cancellations:
I started planning my own wedding in late 2019, knowing that wedding planning was going to be a career path soon after. People who know me well joke about my obsession with Google docs and researching everything in every direction imaginable. I had everything set up and (mostly) ready to go, but 2020 dropped like an atomic bomb. This year not only threw a monkey wrench into plans, but also provided some perspective on weddings in general. Planning around a pandemic further helped me develop my brand and how I can help brides going through the same predicament.
Planning and starting a business helped me learn a few things:
Lesson 1: make plans A through Z
Ok, maybe not ALL the way to Z, but you get my point. We all start with the best intentions prepping for the biggest wedding we have dreamed about since we were little. My friends joke that I'm prepping for a princess wedding. However, with COVID-19 being an issue, I had to think of backup after backup to still do something special without feeling like the pandemic got the best of me. I made a list of types of weddings that I've researched if you do not choose to not wait for the virus to blow over.
Get married at your original venue: Venues are slowly opening up, but under different restrictions depending on the state you are in. Restrictions include mask wearing, reduced capacity, and potential lack of a dance floor. These restrictions can go beyond venues as well that involve public spaces.
The backyard wedding: The traditional back-up that has been sweeping social media. It may take more vendors to make it happen (like catering, port-a-potties, party tent rentals, etc), but you have more control over every aspect.
The courthouse wedding: I want to be married. Period. Who isn't anxious to say "I Do" and call their man "hubby"?
Elope on your honeymoon: Start your trip off with a bang by getting married. Then have the big wedding later. However, you are at the whim of travel restrictions.
Go for a micro-wedding package: Venues and bed-and-breakfasts offer micro-wedding packages that include (packages pending) ceremony, snacks, dinners, and overnight stays. They can be pretty budget friendly.
Get married at your favorite restaurant: Some restaurants have private spaces to get married and sit down to eat. Look for some scenic places by gardens or on the water to get that extra ambience.
Postpone and wait: It's a gamble to potentially have a wedding close to what you originally planned.
Lesson 2: postponing gives yourself extra time to think over what you want
With weddings, brides plan so far ahead that what they want one moment, they may not want several months later. With postponement dates booking up like crazy, the season you planned for may not be the one you get the second time around. If you have any doubt you had over anything, you have more time to reconsider. Here are some things to sit back and think about:
Flower palette: You now have a chance to change colors or flowers depending on the season
Event decorations: Are you moving inside to outside? Or vice versa? Changing spaces can change how you decorate.
Did you like your hair and makeup? Use this extra time for another trial or two.
Vendors that were booked for your old date may be free for your new date: I've seen couples book a new date and their original vendors are not available. Look back on vendors you liked but were booked. You may finally have that chance to work with them.
Lesson 3: this is your chance to think outside the box
With wedding plans changing, it gives you a chance to think beyond normal conventions. Do you want a food truck instead of a catering company? Would an after party be at a rooftop bar instead of a rented room or nightclub? What would be a fun way to serve the food and drinks? The best part is that you can take artistic license because, right now, "going by the book" isn't necessarily doable. Why not do something new?
Lesson 4: I've grown to not take my fiancé for granted
I've been hung up on planning my wedding, wanting to get married, and planning everyone else's weddings. As I'm going at roadrunner/ludicrous speed and venting over this pandemic, friends and family brought me back to reality saying, "No matter what, you are with a man who loves you." I had a "hold up a minute" moment. If you have the love or your life, health, and happiness, everything will eventually fall into place. I needed to stop and appreciate the man who was in front of me. Whatever happens, you will be with the one you love. The wedding will happen when the wedding happens. It takes some of the weight off. It's healthier to have less stress on your plate.
Hope this helps put your mind at ease. No matter what, you have a COVID-19 bride in your corner.