How To Safely Have a Wedding During Covid

The world and how we go about our lives has been ever-changing due to COVID-19, and weddings are no exception. We know that there are a lot of couples out there that are ready to tie the knot, and while postponing a wedding is the safest option it can be frustrating to reschedule it for a time that is months or even a year away when you’re ready to get hitched. 

So here is some advice on how to safely hold a wedding during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beautiful Wedding [photo: www.brides.com ]

First off, be prepared for anything!

Unfortunately nothing is very certain at the moment, so you have to be prepared to change your expectations for how your wedding is going to go. Just because you pictured your wedding being a certain way doesn’t mean it can happen the way you pictured, so you must need to be flexible to give room for things like guests wearing masks, temperature checks, guests cancelling, and many more accommodations. Just remember, all of this is being done for the safety of you and your guests, so just go with the flow and make sure to take precautions.

Review the state and CDC guidelines

Be sure to check out state and local guidelines about any rules they have for gatherings. While the CDC has many guidelines in place, they are only a start and are meant to supplement state and local regulations. Make sure to check with your venue to see what guidelines they have in place. Here are some recommendations from the CDC:

• Hold your wedding outdoors to help minimize the risk.
• Minimize the amount of people by only inviting close friends and family 
• Check out your local regulations for the limit on how many people can attend.
• You can always have a smaller ceremony now and then hold a larger one for your whole guest list once things are safer.
• Keep guests 6 feet apart.
• This doesn’t just go for seating, make sure areas like entrances, bathrooms, and any other area where there might be a line has markers placed six feet apart.
• Make sure all surfaces are sanitized before guests arrive.
• Offer hand sanitizing stations at entrances.
• Have guests use face masks when they are not eating or drinking.
• Serve individual meals, not buffet style.

Colorful Flowers [photo: www.cdc.gov]

Location, location location

We already mentioned holding your weddings outdoors, but the town or city you are holding it in matters too. Certain cities and states are considered hotspots, so try to avoid holding a wedding in a location that has been seeing a lot of COVID-19 cases. You don’t want to put your guests at risk by having them travel to an area with lots of cases, and then also run the risk of them returning home and spreading it in their area.

To minimize travelling, try to choose a venue that is close to where most of your family and/or friends are located.

If you have guests that would be travelling from a hotspot, then unfortunately you may have to look into uninviting them. It is unfortunate, but sometimes sacrifices need to be made when faced with a global pandemic. You can always set up a livestream for guests to watch in real time so they can still be in on the action.

Wedding Day [photo: www.brides.com]

Speaking of live streaming!

Did you know that virtual weddings are now a thing? A number of states have begun to legally recognize virtual ceremonies so you can get married over Zoom, Skype, Facebook Live, YouTube, or whatever platform tickles your fancy! 

You can always do an in-person reception as well once the pandemic is over, and it even comes with reduced pressure since you’re already married.

Holding a wedding is definitely still feasible during the COVID-19 pandemic. Make sure you follow state and local guidelines, and if you worry something is unsafe then it is probably best not to do it. And just remember that this day is still for you and your partner. COVID-19 might make things look a lot different, but at least you can say you had a wedding unlike any other!