7 Tips for Planning a 2021 Wedding During the Pandemic
With vaccines starting to roll out, couples planning a 2021 wedding during the covid-19 pandemic can stay hopeful that they can still tie the knot this year. Although it is hard to predict what the future months might bring in terms of the pandemic, here are some tips that ensure you can look forward to your 2021 wedding.
1. Hire a wedding planner.
Now more than even, hiring a wedding planner is a good idea. Let a pro handle the stress of navigating the current regulations and making necessary changes as needed.
2. Pick an outdoor venue with social distancing precautions in place.
We saw that many 2020 outdoor weddings were still able to happen at some scale, despite the pandemic, due to their ability to social distance guests. Picking a large, outdoor venue that has plenty of space for you and your loved ones is your best bet for 2021! Here are some of my favorite outdoor venues in the Bay Area.
3. Prepare for a smaller guest count.
Oversized weddings may be a thing of the past. Consider creating a core VIP list of your immediate family and best friends to start. You may want to send a first wave of Save The Dates to this group, and wait out sending a round 2 until closer to your date. It’s also a good idea to prepare to set up a virtual stream as a back-up plan for the remaining loved ones that may or may not be able to attend due to guest size caps.
4. Start shopping early.
With all the reschedules and delays the pandemic has brought, consider starting all your shopping as early as possible. This means everything from giving yourself extra time with picking a dress and having it altered, as well as selecting important vendors who may not have many openings dates left. Key items such as venues, planners, and even photographers are often booked up with key wedding dates (like summer Saturdays) well over a year in advance.
5. Ask all your vendors about their rescheduling policies.
It’s so important to ask all your vendors about a back-up plan in case you must reschedule. Be sure to carefully review this information in all your contracts and don’t be shy in asking questions if you don’t understand something.
6. Pick honeymoon travel plans that are refundable.
Now is the time to purchase that extra travel insurance, or select rooms with refundable fares. Keep an eye out for this when making future honeymoon plans. They extra travel insurance will be worth the peace of mind.
7. Give yourself grace.
This is a crazy time with so many unpredictable variables. Go into your wedding planning with an open mind and be patient with yourself during the process. Planning a wedding is trickier than ever, so don’t beat yourself up if it seems tough. Remember that at the end of the day, as long as you are walking into the next chapter of life with your loved one- then that is all that truly matters.
I hope these were helpful tips for planning a 2021 wedding during a pandemic. Have an amazing engagement season and remember that all this craziness will one day be a thing of a past, leaving you with interesting stories of love and perseverance to share with future generations!
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