Planning a COVID Safe Wedding | Top Tips!
“Even with these new measures, you can still plan a magical wedding!”
COVID-19 has made wedding planning much more stressful than it used to be. Restrictions will adapt to the situation as it changes, and we’ve gone from no weddings to 30 guest weddings, to 15 guest weddings — it’s no small feat if you’ve managed to plan a wedding under those conditions! If you’re having trouble with your planning, however, we’re here to help. We’ve got some great tips in accordance with government guidelines which can help you have a COVID safe wedding.
First off, as of the 5th of November 2020, by law only 15 people can attend any marriage or civil partnership ceremony, but the bright side is that there’s less to budget for and you can splurge a little more on personalised goods and fancy foods. Receptions can still take place, with no more than 15 guests, and these receptions must not take place in private homes, only COVID-19 secure venues. Unfortunately, if you live in an area with a very high local COVID alert, wedding receptions cannot take place, but you can always plan ahead for a wedding celebration after the alert level goes down. Common precautions are to wear face masks, respect social distancing measures (staying 2m apart), sanitizing your hands, and not attending if you’re concerned you have symptoms of COVID-19. Even with these new measures, you can still plan a magical wedding with memories that will last a lifetime.
Did you know that if you’re wearing a facemask you only have to stay 1m apart under government guidelines? Face masks are helping prevent COVID transmission, but that doesn’t mean you have to wear a basic blue mask for your big day — how about a fancy lace bridal face mask and bow-tie wearing groom’s mask? They can both be designed to match with your attire, and you can provide face masks for your guests as well by ordering custom made masks in bulk online. If you want to provide extra reassurance to your guests, you can mail them their masks in the packaging they arrived in prior to your wedding day, and if they’re concerned they can give them a wash first as a precaution.
If your wedding is planned for the warmer months, it may be a good idea to find an outdoor venue to accommodate you. Open-air and natural ventilation can lower the risk of transmission, as the risk is 18 times higher indoors comparatively. If you’re set on having an indoor occasion, we’d recommend discussing ventilation at the venue — a representative is likely to relieve any concerns you have before the big day, and offer alternatives if you’re concerned. You may also want to make the event shorter than the average wedding in order to reduce risk; the possibility of COVID-19 spreading can be related to the length of exposure, so the shorter the time spent in close contact can make your event safer. If you also choose to have a meal with your guests, consider arranging your guests to every second seat if possible. They will still be able to communicate and have fun, just at a safer distance. Placing markers on the floor may also help in keeping your guests at an appropriate distance apart from each other, if they aren’t already available at your venue.
It’s also a good idea to provide hand sanitizing stations at your event, especially if you’re going to be eating a meal together. Even though at your meal, you’re unlikely to share plates or cutlery, it’s still a good idea to sanitize your hands before using said items, to prevent any cross-contamination between yourself and any asymptomatic individuals that touched your items previously. These needn’t be boring like a shop sanitizing station though — it’s your wedding day after all! You can easily spice things up with a bit of calligraphy signage and some complimenting colours. For example, you could hang a touchless gel dispenser on a large sign at the entrance to your ceremony/wedding breakfast, or simply offer normal push dispensers on a cart, accompanied by flowers that match your bouquet and some lovely eye-catching signage. We’d highly recommend making this a vital component of your wedding day; every one of your guests should sanitize their hands with alcohol gel before entering the venue.
As for drinks, consider labelling each glass for individual guests, so there isn’t any confusion or cross-contamination. You’ll minimise the chance of transmission, and also have a cute little addition to the big day that’s unique to you! We’d recommend keeping an eye on the alcohol intake at your wedding as well, as drinking too much can often lead to poor decision making. Instead of offering a lot of alcohol at the bar, why not offer a few select cocktails instead to spice up the fun?
As dancing is banned under current government guidelines, we’d recommend finding alternative entertainment at your reception (if it’s allowed in your area). Activities such as photobooths (with hand sanitizer at the ready), pub quizzes, watching a movie with friends, inventing your own cocktails, afternoon tea, or even catering vans! There are still plenty of ways to make your big day unique and memorable to all who attend despite current events, and we hope your day is magical no matter what the circumstances are.
If you’ve been married during the pandemic and have any other tips to offer, please don’t hesitate to comment with them either here or on our social media pages below!
Stay safe, and we’ll see you next week.
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If you’re hosting your wedding within the COVID-19 pandemic, please remember to adhere to the rules set out by the government to keep safe: gov.uk/weddings.
