The pandemic has forced a lot of people to change a lot of plans. Graduation ceremonies and parties have been canceled, family reunions haven’t happened, birthday parties have gone virtual, and weddings have been rescheduled. That last item may not seem like a big deal on the surface, but with the time and expense that goes into putting a wedding together—not to mention the length of time it can take to rent out certain venues—rescheduled nuptials can be a major emotional and financial blow. 

The fact is that, until COVID is under control, weddings can’t take place the way they used to. That doesn’t mean that you have to cancel your ceremony, though. With planning and an eye for detail, your wedding can still be amazing even if the scale is a little smaller than originally expected.

An Extra Ounce of Planning

It may seem insane to say that couples need to engage in extra planning, but it’s the truth. When balancing weddings and pandemic, careful planning is the key. Be aware of your local guidelines. If your venue is inside, how many people can safely gather in the space? Can you get recordings of music that would have otherwise been performed live? Does your venue have the ability to stream your ceremony live for the guests that can’t be there in person? Answering these questions will put you in the best position to have a great wedding.

Planning a wedding is a detail heavy task at the best of times, but making sure your wedding isn’t looked at as just a “covid wedding” takes an even sharper eye for detail. The big wedding feast may not be happening, but keeping social distancing guidelines and traffic flow in your venue straight are big challenges in their own right. 

The New Etiquette

So what are the new behaviors that you need to keep in mind? Many of them involve taking actions we’ve all been getting used to in the last few months. Make sure there’s plenty of space for you and your guests to remain six feet apart. If you’re indoors, everyone needs to wear masks. People must be able to wash their hands. Only food and drink that is necessary to the ceremony should be consumed. All of this is to be expected. There are a few things you may not have expected, though.

It’s gross to think about, but COVID spreads via droplets from the nose and mouth. When people sing or speak loudly, they send out more droplets. So your music should be at a volume that won’t force your guests to speak loudly to be heard before or after the ceremony. Additionally, instead of live music, you should find recordings. This is especially true if your music was set to include someone playing a wind instrument. Singing and blowing on a horn are both activities that can send droplets out and about. That also means that singing as a group is a bad idea. One person singing is bad, everyone in the room singing is even worse.

Everyone that plans on attending your ceremony in person should be aware of the common symptoms of COVID so that they can recognize them and stay home if any symptoms make themselves known. It is the height of rudeness to show up sick to an event during a pandemic, after all. 

Find a way to let the people that can’t enter the venue for your special day share in your joy. Whether that means setting up a live stream of the ceremony or having a virtual reception via a video chat service after the rings have been exchanged or a combination of the two isn’t important. What is important is letting your friends and family know how much you value their presence in your life by including them in your joy while protecting their health.

A Venue of Value

With all the extra details you have to keep in mind for a wedding in the current climate, having a venue that looks out for you makes all the difference. You’ll need someone who knows the ins and outs of your space like the back of their hand so that you can focus on the bigger picture. That’s why the team at the Lumber Exchange are so great. Since they host so many different types of events, the staff at the Lumber Exchange know the capacity, technical capabilities, traffic patterns, and quirks and perks of every space they have available. Their knowledge and experience in planning events will help you transition from a pre-pandemic plan to a plan for these unprecedented times.

Making Change Positive

Times are tough on couples looking to tie the knot. Spring weddings have been pushed to the summer and fall, guest lists have needed to be drastically reduced, and on and on. But with the right planning and a great venue, your wedding can be just as special as you’ve always wanted it to be. It will be different, but different can be great.