Has your recent time in quarantine with your partner led to a proposal? If so, congrats! If you can make it through 24/7 alone time with your significant other, then you know you’ve got what it takes to make it for the long haul 😉
With the future of weddings still very much uncertain, it may seem like it’s impossible to start planning your big day right now. However we’re here to assure you that there are still many things you can do to not only get the ball rolling, but to capitalize on having a little extra free time at your disposal.
If you’ve found yourself recently engaged and unsure of where to start, check out our tips for planning your wedding during a pandemic. Not only will you feel a huge sense of accomplishment for knocking tasks off your planning to-do list, but it will provide you with an excellent distraction from everything that is going on in the world (we promise, Netflix will still be there when you’re done!).
Tip #1: Schedule Virtual Tours & Meetings with Potential Vendors
While states are only just barely starting to determine the safest way to open up to the public again, many vendors have already taken using technology to help get in touch with couples to keep business moving. At Saphire Event Group, we’ve been scheduling Facetime and Zoom tours on weekends of all four of our venues, so that couples can see the space “in person” without ever having to leave their sofa. We also have a variety of other resources to help with planning, whether it’s receiving a customized proposal for your dream date or getting a copy of our Menu Lookbook that showcases lots of our delicious culinary offerings.
Once you have your venue secured, which is by far the biggest piece of the puzzle, you can start to reach out to other wedding pros that you hope to work with on your big day. “My top tip for planning while being stuck inside is getting in contact with your vendors,” says Kevin Sweeney, Event Producer at The Villa. “Once you are able to talk the details through with them, you will feel like a huge weight is lifted off your shoulders.”
Remember: although it may seem like an inopportune time to plan a large event, as a newly engaged couple you are now competing for dates not only with others in your position, but with 2020 couples that were forced to reschedule. With only a finite number of dates available in a year, 2021 and even 2022 weekends are going to fill up quickly, so you may not want to delay your planning much longer! (Worried about date availability? Consider a weekday wedding or an off-season event and you’ll have much more flexibility!)
Tip #2: Start Your Wedding Registry
In addition to confirming how much you love spending time with your significant other, another thing quarantine is perfect for is figuring out what items you really want to surround yourself with in your home! If you’ve found yourself recently doing a lot of home cooking, think about all the times you’ve said, “man, I wish I had a (insert fancy kitchen gadget here).” Asses what items you already have on-hand, what you’re missing, and what could use an upgrade. With so many people shopping online (experts say that e-commerce sales are up 30%), your friends and family might be itching to send you a congratulations gift sooner rather than later.
“Now is a great time to sit as a couple and start your registry,” says Kirsten Wagner, Event Producer at Avenir. “Who likes to spend hours in a mall trying to figure out what you want for your wedding, anyway? Find companies that you love, set up a registry, and start picking things out. You can go classic with a department store like Macy’s, add to your home through Crate and Barrel, or create a honeymoon fund for your guests to contribute to through a website like The Knot or Zola.”
Tip #3: Figure Out Your Music Choices
There are lot of wedding tasks that you need to physically complete in person, like a fitting or a cake tasting. But think about all the things you can do without leaving your home, like picking out your wedding music! There are lots of tunes to consider, like what you want for your processional, first dance, parent dances, and party music.
“Grab yourself a glass of wine and have a dance party in your living room!” says Haley Mayfield, Event Producer at The Villa. “Find that first dance song that you both love, or scour different wedding playlists and pick out your ‘must-play’ songs for your DJ or band. You can even Facetime with your family members and get them in on the fun, especially when it comes to picking out the mother/son and father/daughter songs!”
Tip #4: Stay Calm & Keep Planning
During times of uncertainty, it’s very easy to feel like there is chaos all around you. While there are plenty of things about this situation that are out of everyone’s control, it’s important to remember how many tasks you can actually check off while confined at home, like starting to gather addresses for save the dates, setting your budget, and looking into wedding insurance (which although we have been recommending for years, will definitely be a must for couples post-pandemic!).
“As an upcoming bride myself, I know how it is important to stay calm,” says Elizabeth Coleman, SEG Production Training Manager. “Continue making plans and decisions. Work on things like selecting pictures to put on display at your reception, or begin designing your invitations. There are so many options to choose from for these kinds of things that it can be overwhelming when under pressure. Take this time to go through and pick out your favorites!”
Planning a wedding is always going to come with a certain amount of stress, and planning a wedding during a crisis of this magnitude is something that no one has really experienced ever before. Remember that the most important thing is that you have found your person, and whether you tie the knot five months or five years from now, you are there to love and support each other no matter what (and we would bet that this whole pandemic thing definitely falls under the “for better or worse” category!). Trust in your vendors and take each situation day by day. We’re all still figuring it out, but one thing’s for certain – we’re in this together.
