JAYCEE & ERIK
November 7, 2020
Photography By: Vesic
Oftentimes, you will hear us planners say that the easiest way to cut costs for a wedding is by cutting the guest list. Sometimes however, you have the brides, like myself, that never had a large guest list to start with. Then, when you add a global pandemic that limits that guest list for the safety of your community – well, that changes the game.
I can’t tell you the story that some COVID couples can about having to change dates, venues,
guest lists or any of the other details that were experienced by so many. I don’t even want to pretend like I can fully understand that emotional strain… But it isn’t because of one reason or the other – its because there wasn’t the plan to have a larger wedding than what we had.
So that being said… Intimate is not a bad word.
My wedding was intimate and planned that way from the start. Yes, not every wedding is intimate – heck, your own wedding may not be planned as such. But that does not make it any less of a wedding. We know inviting every distant relative, every family friend or colleague is important in a lot of situations – but COVID isn’t your average situation, nor is any wedding.
This is your day.
These are the moments of memories you hand picked to represent the love and happiness in such a special time in your life, that you may never experience again. They are intimate moments of your life that are creating memories of you and your future family. Though yes, COVID made changes in our wedding, don’t think that it didn’t, even with being small. We spent extra money by adding our own “COVID Conscious” cards to invitations informing guests of our protocols and expectations of getting flu shots, masks, being tested, etc. Did it suck paying for extra stationary, yes? Did it mean we could see less people at our wedding than the small number we already invited, yes? Did it help protect our guests? Yes.
I have planned many weddings in my time, from 60 to 300 people each… But as a planner, a bride and now a wife – I can tell you… Its not always the number of guests, but the guests you spend the most time with. I know, it seems crazy, but my own husband has been a groomsman in multiple weddings and we managed to have no bridal party and guess what – we are all still friends with everyone of those couples.
Does that make their involvement in our day any less? No.
It’s a blessing and a curse being a small wedding bride during COVID bridal season – but that didn’t change the significance that went into the planning. The meticulous detail put into every flower type, arrival time, invite language, aesthetic… each piece almost mattered more. I know, that may sound crazy. But we knew that yes, friends and family would help in some places (being a less than 50 person wedding after all), we also knew that with so many important individuals playing a role in our big day, we needed additional support to ensure things went off without a single hiccup that I (being my anal retentive self) would not have to worry about.
So, what am I getting at?
Small weddings are no different than big weddings. The difference is the guest count, which is the first thing we as wedding planners (and you as engaged couples) always know to cut. Planning during COVID isn’t something you should look at as a fear because of what people could think of your big day by not being invited, it is COVID after all. This is your future, your family you are building and yes – add masks and hand sanitizers to your welcome zones (if you don’t know what a welcome zone is, reach out to us to help make sure you have them for your wedding), and while it may create some un-comfort– we all know as brides, planning can be uncomfortable. Bring in teams that help eliminate that discomfort (pre, during and post COVID) and know that small weddings aren’t always less fun – if you don’t believe me, just reach out and I promise I can share how our COVID small wedding proved it.
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