Covid-19 - What Are Your Options?
One thing’s for certain, the last year and a half have been chaos. From constant lockdowns and inconsistent government mandates, to climbing and falling cases; the brides of Melbourne have been put through the ringer.
So how can we deal with the stress that comes will all this uncertainty around your wedding?
The first thing to do is take a deep breath and try to understand that your wedding might not be exactly what you had planned for it to be, and that is okay. Life happens and we just have to get through it as best we can.
As of right now a wedding can go forward with 5 guests, in addition to a couple and their celebrant. So if your wedding is dependant on a certain amount of people being there, it might be a good idea to postpone. A great option is to have a small ceremony and have the reception of your dreams once restrictions have lifted again.
What are your options?
Staylopement
What’s a Staylopement? Like an elopement but without the destination. This would involve having a legals only ceremony on your preferred date with your celebrant and two witnesses! You could still postpone your reception to later, so this is actually an ideal compromise. You get to be married ASAP, and still get the wedding you wanted after all. This is essentially what weddings were under the restriction of just 5 people in attendance. But if you’re having trouble deciding who your guests are going to be with a smaller weddings, this could be the ideal solution for you.
Microwedding
Downsizing your wedding to make it work with current rules is an option for those who need to have people at their wedding. A microwedding is a term for having a small wedding and making it ultra-personal. And in light of the current circumstances, it’s ideal!
But… how do you downsize your guest list?
Start with your closest family and friends and go from there, prioritise the most important people in your lives and make changed based on that. Keep the current health advice in mind and trust that people will understand the circumstances if they are uninvited.
Livestream the Wedding
From the dark of this pandemic, a glorious thing called Zoom arose. Which means, anyone with internet access and the password is able to virtually attend your wedding.
Granted it’s no the same thing, it is an option that allows the friends and family that were unable to attend, to attend.
Postpone
If worst comes to worst, putting off the wedding until we’re in the clear isn’t the end of the world. Try and secure all the deposits you’ve made and keep in constant contact with your vendors; most of them are completely understanding and sympathetic to your needs, covid has affected all of us and we need to support each other through it.
The instructions the CDC have provided are as follows:
Always check local guidelines before planning your event.
Brief guests about precautions before the event starts; during the event, remind guests of these precautions and ensure they are followed.
Choose outdoor venues over indoor spaces – if indoors, ensure the area is well-ventilated.
Minimise crowding by staggering arrivals and departures, numbering entries, designating seats/places and marking the floor to ensure physical distancing between people of at least one meter.
Provide all necessary supplies – hand hygiene stations, hand sanitiser or soap and water, tissues, closed-lid bins, distance markers, masks
