Tips: Planning Your Wedding During a Pandemic
Written by Chi Thee Wed curators, Lisa Kathan Photography and Olive Fine Weddings & Events
UPDATED March 2021
WHERE DO I START?
If there was ever a time to consider hiring a wedding planner, now would be it. A good planner can help you rework your wedding details and has access to locations and vendors you might not know of. You will likely save money in the end.
What if many of our guests can’t come?
If you have guests that are in high-risk groups (elderly or immunocompromised), they may have to make the hard decision to not be at your wedding. This may also be the case if you have many guests coming from a restricted country.
But don’t lose heart! I may be biased (since I photograph primarily tiny/micro weddings and elopements), but having witnessed many tiny weddings, they truly can be very sweet and beautiful. If you’re in a situation where you have to change the scope of your wedding day, it’s OK! You can still be married, and have a magically wonderful, memorable day.
Pro Tip: so the guests that couldn’t come don’t fully miss out, be sure to make your photography budget a priority, and consider hiring a videographer, also.
What if any of our vendors gets sick OR QUARANTINED?
First and foremost, ask your vendors what their plans are if this were to happen. Really, this is a question you’re hopefully asking before hiring your vendors, but if you didn’t, ask now. Many wedding vendors like photographers, videographers, planners, hair and makeup artists, and others, may be solo business owners. But they should still have a solid plan for how they would handle a situation in case they get sick with COVID-19, or anything else.
What if we have to postpone our wedding (due to mandates or someone falling ill)
This is where previously reading your contract and being aware of what it says about rescheduling will be helpful. If you’re still unsure, contact your vendors and ask what their policies are about rescheduling.
What about wedding insurance…will it cover us if there is a coronavirus outbreak in our area?
Good question, and the answer is probably no. Most wedding insurers have stated they would NOT cover COVID-19 related wedding issues.
Remember…
THE most important thing is that the two of you get to wed! Even if your plans have to change, the day will be perfect because you get to marry your person. Often the most seemingly imperfect stories often end up being the most beautiful stories in the end.
To keep on top of it all:
Stay on top of the guidance from the State of Illinois, as well as your region.
Also, your planner or other vendors may be able to help. The most important thing is to NOT just depend on what any of your vendors tells you, but ask them to send you official information from the state. It can be hard to find, but most experienced vendors have been staying on top of the current guidelines and can easily send you a link to that info.
The last thing you want to do is host a wedding that is against the mandates (even if your venue says it’s OK!) — you’re risking your guests’ safety and possibly risk getting busted in the middle of your wedding.
