Adapting Your Wedding Plans During The Pandemic

Red flowers with newly weds in the background

Survival Guide for Covid Brides

If your wedding plans have changed this year due to Covid-19, take a deep breath and work out what to do next.

With 64% of weddings expected to be postponed or cancelled this year, according to Bridebook, there are a lot of disappointed couples out there making tough decisions. The government has announced that wedding ceremonies of up to 30 guests are allowed from July 4th. If you wish to celebrate after the ceremony, you must do so within the social distancing bubble guidelines. This means that you can have up to six people outdoors, within support bubbles indoors or outdoors or between two households indoors or outdoors.

Some will choose to go ahead with a social distancing wedding and make the necessary adjustments to their special day. Others will prefer to wait until likely next year before holding the type of celebrations they originally had in mind. Our Essex barn weddings team can’t wait to welcome couples back down the aisle again. But in the meantime, whatever your situation and your wishes, here’s a guide to adapting your wedding plans during the pandemic.

Stay Mentally Strong

You’re bound to feel stressed and disappointed by the change to your wedding plans, but it’s important to rely on your support network to help you through this tough time. This is particularly so if your finances have also been hit hard by the pandemic. Remember that even though your wedding plans may have changed significantly, your partner is the one constant in all this. Embrace the extra time you can spend together in lockdown and arrange some special treats together, whether that be a leisurely forest walk, a movie night in, or enjoying a bottle of champagne in your garden.

Communication

Get in touch with your venue and suppliers to discuss your options as soon as you realise that your wedding date might be affected by the pandemic. If you’ve taken out wedding insurance, then check the small print to determine what may be covered in the event of a pandemic. John Lewis is an example of a wedding insurance provider who should pay out if government legal measures have prevented public gatherings such as your wedding from going ahead. In the event that you’re not covered by insurance, check with your suppliers about whether they’d be willing to switch to another date, or ask what will happen to your deposits. Having frank discussions is important in helping couples to understand their rights and to replan their celebrations.

Speaking to your guests

Unless all of your wedding guests are locals, the chances are that they’ll also have questions about your wedding, particularly if they’ve booked travel or accommodation. Let them know if you’re planning to cancel, postpone or are just unsure at this stage. They’ll appreciate any information that you can give them and will of course want to offer their support to you. If your best man or bridesmaids are already in the throes of organising stag and hen dos for you, then it’s also worth having a chat about what you have in mind. Would you be happy to hold these occasions at a later date after you’re married? Or try out a virtual Zoom hen do for size? There are no rights or wrongs here, it’s just about doing what you’re comfortable with and what’s allowed within the government guidelines.

No-one could have seen the pandemic coming, but now that it’s here, take the extra time to make some decisions about which aspects of your wedding day are really important to you. We look forward to welcoming you back to Crondon Park soon.