Planning any event, especially a wedding during COVID19 has been challenging for many brides. As states begin to re-open, we want to share a several points to consider when planning your wedding during this time.
Guest Size: We suggest maintaining a smaller guest count and outside gatherings would be best at this time to ensure safety. During this season, guest size limit for indoor weddings and outdoor weddings vary upon which state you live in. Currently in New Jersey, we have the limit of 25 for outside gathering and limit of 10 for inside gatherings. We would suggest that outside gatherings would be the best as you have open space to ensure safety and maintaining social distance. Plus the weather is much warmer now!
Venue : During your venue search, discuss with staff what safety protocols each place has put in place and consider which one may be appropriate for you and your guests. Once you have identified a venue, you would like to hold your wedding, it is important to review the contract clauses in the event there may need to be a postponement or cancellation.
Vendors: Discuss with vendors (ie. photography, DJ,etc) what safety protocols they have in place to ensure that their staff, you and your guests will be safe. It is important to also review their cancellation policies in the event you may need to cancel or postpone your wedding.
Seating Arrangements: It is important to discuss with your chosen venue how the seats will be arranged for your ceremony (if any) and how it would be arranged for the reception. Maximizing the amount of space between your guests is key. During the reception, it would be best to have fewer guests seated at the tables (ex. 6 or less) to ensure safe social distancing.
Time: We suggest that it may best to keep the time short, keeping your guests in mind and their comfort of being in one space for a certain amount of time. Cut back on the length of your ceremony, 30 minutes max. Depending on the guest count and the traditional pieces of the reception , you may want to have a shorter reception.
Food: Food is important! You should consider whether you want to do a cocktail hour before the reception. For a smaller gathering, we suggest to not have a cocktail hour. For the reception, we would suggest to serve plated meals vs. having a buffet. It is best to individualize where possible. You may also want to consider using disposable dinnerware and utensils.
Favors: Favors can be personalized. Creating individualized hand sanitizers and/or masks are a great way to ensure safety during your celebration by providing these for your guests. These can be provided to your guests upon arrival to the ceremony or at the start of the reception.
It is also good to be a bit more flexible in planning during this time, as the news is changing and evolving each day around COVID19. We hope these tips are helpful to all couples planning or re-planning their wedding during this time.
