Kelly + Alec

While the 2020 season certainly wasn’t what any of us in the events industry had expected, we were fortunate to still work with so many amazing clients despite all the challenges and restrictions due to the pandemic. Meet Kelly & Alec, one of our couples who were able to make the best of their situation and still host a gorgeous summer Massachusetts COVID wedding in the Tent at The Villa at Ridder Country Club. With enhanced safety precautions, our team executed a beautiful event and made this sweet couple’s wedding dreams come true. While it looked different than they had initially envisioned, Kelly & Alec were still able to celebrate their nuptials in style with their family and friends (albeit a much smaller group!).

Read on to hear a first-hand account of their experience from the newlyweds themselves:

How did you meet? “Six and a half years ago, a mutual friend set us up on a blind date and we’ve been together since. Alec proposed to me in 2019 while we were practicing trapeze together!”

What made you choose The Villa? “While starting to plan, we knew we wanted a summer wedding and fell in love with The Villa as soon as we saw the beautiful white tent. It was the first venue we toured and nothing seemed to compare!

What was it like planning a wedding during a pandemic? “Planning a wedding during a pandemic was a rollercoaster, to say the least since state regulations are continuously changing. When I first got engaged, I imagined that the week before my wedding I would be focused on pampering myself and getting last-minute details together for the day, which was clearly not the case! I spent the week before our wedding rearranging the seating chart for the fifth time to accommodate social distancing, wearing a mask and gloves to my alterations appointment, calling our florist to let them know that we might need a ‘few’ more centerpieces to accommodate our new seating chart, and of course, sitting on my apartment floor with a bottle of wine calling the governor’s office for the twelfth time that day.”

What was it like working with SEG throughout your planning process? “My husband and I feel so unbelievably grateful for having such a wonderful staff to go through this experience with. Kirsten, Elizabeth, and Ashley made sure to communicate quickly with each and every update since the state regulations were constantly changing. SEG was always flexible, empathetic, and helped us find solutions throughout every change thrown at us in the process! Although planning was a bit different, SEG still managed to help us have our dream wedding. We truly could not be happier!”

What was it like celebrating your wedding day with the restrictions at the time? “Having a lower guest count allowed us to spend more time with the people who are truly the closest to us. The restrictions also leave room to think outside the box. For instance, our DJ had the idea to post a sign for guests to text him song requests since he was standing behind plexiglass.

Planning our wedding during a pandemic made us really appreciate the day and enjoy it so more than I think we would have if we didn’t go through that experience. The best part of the night was during the reception when it began pouring rain and everyone ran outside in it. I changed into shorts and a t-shirt – my hair was soaked, my makeup became nonexistent, and I could not have been happier. It was truly an experience I will never forget!”