Getting married in the mix of all this craziness of COVID-19? We’re here to help!

COVID-19 virus in like nothing we’ve seen before. For the first time in my 40 years of life we’re in a Pandemic. So what does this mean for you planning the wedding of your dreams in all this craziness? WARNING!!! Long post here, but so worth the read.

Let Timeless Love Weddings help you!

Our #1 goal is to help you navigate through the muddy waters and and still plan the wedding of your dreams.

Timeless Love Weddings understand that your wedding vision is something you’ve dreamed, And you want it PERFECT! So do we! But the truth is, living in a world were we’re in a Pandemic, can be challenging. Especially with all the unknowns. So my NUMBER ONE advice is…. Take it day by day.

If your planning to get married FALL of 2020 or in 2021, you’ll need to consider a few things.

First things First. Let’s talk Pandemic!!!! Even though the Pandemic is out of your control, the same goes with your vendors. The Pandemic which is neither yours or your vendors fault, falls under the Force Majeure clause of your contract.  What does this mean? Well, vendors will do their best to come up with a mutually agree decision of  either postponing your event or moving forward but with restrictions. But one things for sure, IF YOU CHOOSE TO CANCEL, then you will not receive a refund. Sucks I know. So depending on how much you have invested, Postponing maybe the best option. Which leads me to… what you should consider when postponing.

Should you postpone?

Are you OK with less guess on your day? Especially some important family members might be missing your big day. How about your guests wearing masks? If this doesn’t sound appealing, you may want to consider postponing. But don’t take postponing lightly. There are a lot of variables that go into postponing and you should consider all of them. Below are just a few our clients have thought about to help make their decision.

1. Fee’s. The truth is, every time you signed a contract with a vendor, you’ve taken a day away from another couple/client for that vendor to book. Because of this, if you choose to postpone to a later date, your essentially taking another day away from a full paying client. That become loss of income to your vendors. So if you are considering postponing, know that some/most of your vendors will have a postponement fee. Common vendors that charge, but not limited too: Venues, Photographers, Videographers, Planner, Caterers, DJ’s, Florist/Designers and some popular beauty vendors. Please understand, vendors are not trying to make more money off of you, they’re just trying to survive while loosing potential income within this awful time. SO please understand they need to survive as much as you need your wedding to go on.
2. Flexibility on a new date. When it comes to postponing to a new date, you’ll need to be flexible. Even though your venue will do their darndest to book you on a similar day (Friday for Friday, Saturday for Saturday, etc.) it’s important to be understanding of what your asking. Popular venues maybe limited on dates, especially if your looking to change your date to a popular season (Fall: Sept to Nov and/or Spring: April to June). Flexibility is key to postponing your wedding.
3. Expectations + Communication. Lastly, you need to have an idea of expectations from your vendors. What I mean is, since we’ve been in the process of planning your wedding for over 6 months, you probably have had a lot of communication with your vendors. Know that now you’ll have a lot less communication till we get closer to your NEW wedding date. If you have certain expectations of your vendors (meetings, communication, payment plans, etc), let them know a head of time. Many will follow up with you periodically, but know that you wont hear from many till about 60-30 days prior to your wedding. If you want more, ASK.

The wedding must go on

Now that you’ve come to the conclusion…. “The Wedding must go on”, let’s talk about what to expect.

1. Restrictions. Since we are in the world of the unknown, your wedding may be held to certain restrictions. Some restrictions to consider but not limited too (lower guests count, guest required to masks, might be under curfew, possibly no dancing, etc.)  These are some restrictions I’ve seen this past year. If your not happy about restriction, then you may want to consider postponing, or possibly getting married in 2022. If your not thrilled, but understand, then we’ll communicate in advance so your aware of the most recent restriction are happening.
2. Guest count + Floor plan. Depending on your venue, if and when they can start having receptions again, expect your guest count to be at 50% of the capacity of the venue. If you were potentially planning a 200 person reception (venue’s max) then expect to be inviting 100 guests. Venue’s that are able to have dinners are working at the same restrictions of restaurants. Tables must be 6-feet apart and only 6 guests per table. So if you’ve started planning, I recommend having an A list (covering the 50% capacity) and a B list (others to invite if you have regrets). Also keep in mid of your floor plan. Keeping your”at higher risk” guests together with immediate family to help keep them safe.
3. Timeline. Next it’s time to plan your timeline. Because of COVID-19, we’ve had to make adjustment when it comes to timing of events. The best way to keep your vendors and guests safe is to consider doing all the major events prior to dinner. Major events include Wedding Party Announcement, Dances (first dance, father/daughter + Son/mother), and Cake Cutting. The reason for this, is some of your elderly guests are traditionalist and these elements are important to them. Therefor, knocking them out ASAP let’s them have the freedom of staying or leaving after.
4. Dinner. I would consider not doing a buffet or family style dinner for your reception. In fact, I’d suggest only plated meals till 2022. I know a lot of caterers are consider the same, however if you are set on buffet due to cost I have some great ideas for yea. At some of my recent weddings we had the caterers plate a little of everything (from the buffet) and bring the dishes to a centralized table. Once the vendors have cleared the area, the planner releases ONE table at a time to collect their dinners. This worked very smoothly and extremely quick, and most of all, kept your vendors and guests safe.
5. Open Dance. If you are considering having an open dance floor, you’ll need to understand there will be restrictions in order to do so. One of the most common restriction is making sure the reception space has been cleared of all food/dished.  Guests will most likely not be wearing there mask therefore putting your vendors at a higher risk. Your catering staff will be instructed to stay low till the dancing has stopped. Second restriction is dancing pods. Your venue will designated a specific space with a 6-foot by 6-foot dancing area that guests will be instructed to dance in. While in these pods guests will not be required to wear mask, but when moving away from the pods (going the bar, bathroom, back to their tables, etc.) THEY MUST WEAR MASKS.

I know the above doesn’t sound like the best wedding, but trust me, if this is what you decide, your wedding day will still be amazing. We just have to be cautious and I promise your guest will still have the time of their life.

This is tough time we’re living in, and I truly understand the sadness you are feeling when planning with all the unknown. But we are here to help in every way possible.

Looking to keep your guests safe while celebrating? check out our many tips here and learn about our Timeless Love wedding day policy’s here.