There has been SO much talk lately about the Coronavirus and it is certainly obvious why. Your wedding during the Coronavirus crisis certainly has to be stressful. Changes are happening constantly, no one knows what to expect, the future is literally unknown and big shifts are coming to our lifestyles that can be rather painful. One area that many friends of mine are feeling this pain is in the wedding industry. I thought giving a few tips from a wedding photographer on how to handle these changes with regards to your wedding may be a good idea. Although I am no expert in this area, because honestly….I’m not sure anyone is, but trying to come together to create a contingency plan is smart for any wedding day!

As of March 13, here in Michigan, any gatherings with 250 people or more have been temporarily banned until April 5th. This is going to be huge for SO many planning on celebrating their marriage in the next few weeks. On Sunday, March 15th, the CDC suggested that groups of 50 people or more should be avoided. Eeekkkk! I’m sure many more new updates will come up too. My biggest piece of advice…don’t panic! But…I know…easier said than done.

Instead of panicking, let’s start brainstorming ideas on what to do instead!

If your wedding is under 250 people: (I’m assuming this includes everyone – wait staff, venue staff, vendors, etc….)

• This is up to you, but you can keep planning as you have been or start thinking outside the box. After all, this day is about starting your life with that one special person so keeping in mind what is important may be very necessary thinking through this day.

Postpone:

• If you aren’t feeling comfortable with any of this and just want to wait it out before starting your marriage, you can always postpone. Check with your venue, your photographer, videographer, etc and see what they can do. I’m guessing most of them will be willing to work with you.

Reduce the number of guests on your guest list:

• Doing this can be tricky. Some couples may have already invited their guests. If that’s the case, then maybe reaching out to some of them through a Facebook event that is created, phone calls, etc and asking how they are feeling about attending may be a good idea. If some feel that they won’t be attending anyway then they may already be making that difficult decision for you.
• If you haven’t sent out the invitations yet this would be a lot easier. Having a smaller, more intimate wedding would be much more cost effective….so…bonus!

Have a small ceremony now with a big party later:

• If your heart is still set on your wedding date, I mean…I totally understand why it would be. You have invested endless time working on this one day, researching, meeting vendors, trying on dresses, tasting food, looking at venues, spending money…. Just invite your closest family members to see you say “I Do” then throw a big party later with all those other special people in your lives. You would even be able to wear your dress again…so that is a positive (I try to find the good where possible…can you tell?!)

Elope!:

• I know….this isn’t on everyone’s list but it can certainly be a fun and special time for you and your spouse-to-be! I can still be there to capture your pretty details like the images below and we can even still practice social distancing for safety. There are officiants out there who can easily be there to make it official too.
• And…if you want to wear your dress again, have a party after everything settles to celebrate with your family and friends. I can be there for that too 😉

Here’s a couple wedding officiants to get you started:

• For the Love Wedding Officiants
• My West Michigan Wedding

Have a mirco-wedding:

• Hire a wedding planner, dream up the most gorgeous tablescape possible, set it up outside somewhere dreamy and invite your fave ten people. Eat the most delicious food and desserts you could think of and hire an amazing photographer and videographer. After the wedding day, send a virtual wedding invite to your family and friends so they can watch the nuptials, your first dance under the stars and see all the pretty images mixed together with video into the most perfect day – something unique that they wouldn’t typically get to see. You’ll be able to do more of what you want with only ten people….so I think this could be pretty amazing!

All in all; be patient, give grace and try to do your best to understand that your wedding is important during this Coronavirus crisis. We are all in this together and are trying to make huge changes in our daily lives. Communicate with one another, including your wedding vendors, and I’m guessing many of them will be very open to thinking outside the box with you. Our livelihoods are at stake as well as this very special day for you…so there’s a lot at stake in every direction you look. We can do this together if we just take the time to understand and work as a team. And to all my lovely bride and grooms – let’s set up a time to chat if you’d like, cry, complain, brainstorm….whatever you need. A part of working with me is literally working with me….in any way you need. I’m here for you <3

xoxo – Kellie

P.S. Do you have any tips on how to deal with wedding plans during the Coronavirus? I’d love to hear them and share with brides who are feeling the pain…

(If you are interested in a full wedding collection please click here for more info. If you’d love to discuss an elopement collection, please contact me directly and we can dream up something special just for you!)