The year 2020 is going to look vastly different to the wedding industry as a result of the Coronavirus. A lot of couples are getting creative, cutting back, and thinking outside the norm for their wedding plans in order to comply with government recommendations and still get married in the safest way possible.
The state of the world (and the wedding industry!) has given me a lot of time to reflect on my own wedding 2.5 years ago. What changes would I have made? What things did I really love that I wouldn’t have changed?
Today I’ve pulled together 5 things that I learned while planning my own wedding. Hoping that this insight will give you some ideas on how to prioritize your own wedding planning, whether you’re planning during the COVID crisis or not!
- STAND FIRM ON WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU
Most wedding days follow a similar structure. But don’t feel pressured to succumb to the norm! I’ll let you in on a little secret. I hate attention. I get really heightened anxiety when I’m in a large group of people and everyone is looking at me. I didn’t even walk at my college graduation ceremony because of it. I knew that if I got married in front of our 300 wedding guests I would be so anxious that I wouldn’t be able to fully enjoy the moment. Because of it, it was important that our ceremony would be family-only (+ bridal party!). I was lucky that Aaron and our families agreed and honored that wish. Our ceremony was so special, and I was able to enjoy a stress & anxiety-free day because of it. We celebrated with a large group of family and friends at the reception! - KEEP YOUT GUEST COUNT TO A MINIMUM
My one regret from our wedding day was our wedding size. This is nothing against anyone invited to our wedding, however if I got a do-over, I’d probably stand more firm on the number of parent’s friends, coworkers, and misc. guests invited. The obligation to say hello to each guest felt overwhelming at times, and by the end of the day, we still weren’t able to give everyone a proper hug and hello! We were both spread thin and I would have rather given those really close friends and family members more dedicated love and attention on our day. - GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR MENU
I’ve been to a lot of weddings. As a wedding guest (and photographer) I always remember the quality of the meal. In my opinion, it’s hard to prepare a steak to the liking of every guest’s preferences and a chicken breast gets old. Aaron and I personally LOVE burgers and pulled pork sandwiches, so for our wedding, we decided to do just that! We got creative and our guests got to enjoy the food we love most. We still hear to this day that people remember and really enjoyed the food at our wedding! - ASK FOR HELP
You want to enjoy the process of wedding planning & all the bliss that comes on your wedding day. You don’t have to do it all on your own! Invest in vendors that you trust to take some of that burden off your shoulders. Find a really amazing florist that will do all the installations for you. Find a planner that will handle all the pre-wedding communication & logistics on the day of. Find a coordinator that will set up all your personal items and safely pack it up at the end of the night. Find a photographer that will keep your timeline running smoothly. Choose a rental company for all your décor so you don’t have to do as much DIY crafting and so you don’t have to worry about storing everything / selling it once the wedding is done. Your time is valuable, so ask for help! - DON’T GET LOST IN TRENDS
Be careful on Pinterest! Don’t get lost in the beauty that you see online so much that you lose part of yourself in the process. When I was planning my wedding, dark burgundy dresses were really on-trend. When I was telling my sister-in-law that I couldn’t find the right shade of burgundy in the stores, she asked me “Why are you looking for that color? Your personal aesthetic is neutral, your home is neutral, everything you own is neutral! Why would you do such a bold color?”. This was my “A-Ha” moment. I decided to do a neutral beige color for my bridesmaid dresses instead and it was so much closer to my personal style. Make decisions that will you’ll love long-term.
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