With the UK Government due to present its roadmap to start lifting us out of lockdown on Monday the hope of normality returning is becoming very real.
But what happens if you’ve had time to re-evaluate and want to change up your wedding day in the post Covid world?
Planning a wedding has always been quite a feat even if you are one of the few wedding couples who work in the wedding industry. I do think wedding couples should be applauded for their efforts to ensure that everyone has a wonderful day. Yet as we now look forward to finding ourselves in post-lockdown, or ‘lockdown-lite’ as I’ve taken to calling it over the coming months it arguably creates more challenges than ever before.
Check out these top tips and ideas to help guide you…
We have to wait for the UK Government road map however the phenomenal rate at which vaccines are being administered suggests that we should be back to a new normal mid to late summer.
This will undoubtedly mean cutting down on numbers. Whilst its wonderful that the vaccine programme is rolling out in the UK at incredible speed (Thank you to our amazing NHS and everyone involved), you still need your initial vaccine and the booster. This means that weddings for 2021 are still predicted to be smaller events.
So what do you do when you have to either create a smaller guest list or actually make the call an uninvite guests?
There isn’t a right or wrong answer to this but I think that the key is to avoid making it personal and keep the narrative entirely about COVID-19. You want to get married. Covid-19 has meant that your plans have had to change.
Your guests will respect you having to prioritise. Any couple now getting married under restrictive conditions are doing so as they simply want to be officially married and that I think should be applauded. You could perhaps soften the blow with the promise of a celebratory party when we are all vaccinated and its safe to do so.
You could also consider live streaming your wedding ceremony and having a small album or coffee table book made for your guests afterwards. All of my Clients have a Gallery to log in to which is shared with their family and friends.
If you’ve already bought things like wedding favours then send them out to the guests you’ve had to cut from the list with a handwritten card. This is a heartfelt gesture and it shows that they mean the world to you.
Your best bet is to postpone to 2022 or beyond. Even then you may still have some guests whom the pandemic has changed their lives beyond measure and in ways that only they will truly understand. And this isn’t something for us to question why, cajole them, or disagree. We just have to accept this for what it is. Its absolutely not a reflection on you.
Always pick up the phone and call them and ask the question. They don’t need to give you an immediate answer. But do ask for them to come back to you within a short period of time. I think that if your guests are informed personally about the decision to drop them from the guest list then they will understand. The entire world has been hit by the pandemic. Its not personal!
Consider providing things such as facemasks. I’ve seen bespoke wedding face masks provided during the weddings of 2020 and they went down a storm! Perhaps buy personalised face masks with either your wedding date or your initials on them. Monogrammed face masks might even become a thing – you heard it hear first!
Have hand sanitiser readily available and let guests know that this is readily available. Good communication will ease any worries and your guests will know that their safety is your number one priority. And its also worth sending a sheet of “wedding notes” out with the formal invitations to explain that it will be expected that people will adhere to social distancing policies. Again this provides a level of comfort as everyone will understand what is expected of them.
At any celebration the atmosphere is dictated by the hosts. So if you as a couple are considerate and sensitive from the get go then your guests will behave accordingly and feel welcome. Do not worry about offending people. Your priority is to keep them safe and for your wedding day to be remembered for a joyous celebration.
And that’s absolutely OK to feel this.
Many families have been hit hard by the pandemic. And many have had their incomes impacted. For some of you a big wedding was never what you wanted in the first place but a moderate wedding had spiralled out of control.
All of this means that its 100% OK to have a much smaller wedding. Even a micro wedding. Check out the Micro Weddings page…
Micro weddings are a trend that started a while back and have become more mainstream as the global pandemic took hold. And of course if you want to completely avoid everyone you can of course elope!
With a smaller wedding and therefore fewer guests your budget will go further. Your time on the day will also go further. You could splurge on an Engagement Photo Shoot before the big day, live music, upgrade from prosecco to champagne, the list goes on…!
And of course a great investment is a fantastic professional photographer! You’ll have fewer people so hire a professional wedding photographer you trust who will capture all of the moments during the day, mix well and blend in with your guests. These are the moments you will remember and treasure the most.
When I’m photographing smaller weddings if time allows I often take beautiful portraits of guests which is a lovely added bonus for you and your guests. I also get more time to spend with you which affords me the all important time to take stunning images of you both before you say your vows…
The smaller the wedding the more I am on show as your chosen photographer and so I take the time to build a rapport with your families and guests. This makes for exquisite relaxed imagery that you’ll treasure.
Call (07711 855845) or email me (hello@nikkikirkphotography.com) and lets chat about Your wedding day. What you’d like from your wedding photography and how we can work together to create the most magical memories of your Wedding Day…
