wedding planning during a pandemic : advice for couples
It is no secret 2020 did not start out as we thought it would. We have all had to make adjustments to plans and the way we do life every day. For couples in the midst of wedding planning as the pandemic progressed this has been an especially challenging time. However, along with those challenges it is important to highlight and celebrate the good. While you may have needed to tweak your wedding plans, one thing is for certain, love is not canceled! To honor the magical moments of engagement and wedding planning, hear from fellow brides as they plan their nuptials amidst the pandemic.
photo by William Choi
Q: How has the pandemic impacted your wedding planning?
Stephanie: My fiancé and I have been taking it day by day, following the news closely to see what guidelines are released. Our outdoor wedding will be in the fall, but we are very flexible with doing a Zoom wedding and postponing to next year. As long as everyone feels safe!
Stephanie: Under stay at home orders, I have a lot of free time to work on the creative side of wedding planning. Since I am a designer, I was able to make my own decorations, invitations, website! It’s so much fun!
Stephanie: Find flexible vendors. We found amazing vendors willing to partner with us for both our current and postponement dates. Make sure any contracts cover this. We are so thankful as we are all navigating these uncertain times together.
Q: How have wedding plans changed for you as a result of COVID-19?
Ashley: It has definitely been difficult planning our wedding during this time. Our wedding is in North Carolina so we’ve been planning things from afar to begin with. Because it was unsafe to travel we hadn’t been able to do some things like engagement photos and food tasting. We recently decided to postpone the big ceremony to next October because most of our guests are traveling and there is still a lot of uncertainty about how the rest of the year will go. Postponing has given us more time to plan and go in person to pick out rentals, do fittings, etc.
Ashley: We did not feel comfortable flying on a plane, so we decided to drive down to North Carolina, a 7.5-hour road trip to tackle some to-dos. I picked up my dress, we did our food tasting, and finally did our engagement photos! It was our first road trip so that was pretty cool and will be a special memory when we look back.
Q: Any words of wisdom for couples who are wedding planning during this uncertain time?
Ashley: Be patient and try to find the best in this tough situation. Try to keep planning even if your wedding is postponed or do something fun or wedding-related that still makes you feel like a bride!
Q: Share some creative ways you have been able to wedding plan and celebrate during the pandemic.
Hannah: We were planning to get married in August of 2020 but decided to postpone to Fall 2021. The silver lining is we initially wanted a fall wedding, but the venue we fell in love with didn't have any fall dates for 2020. I have been able to use this extra time to collect decor and plan the fall wedding of our dreams! To honor our original date we are planning a little getaway weekend to celebrate and enjoy each other.
Hannah: First things first, look for the positives. If you have to postpone, find ways to celebrate this extra time being engaged. Maybe postponing provides you the opportunity to save more money to have the honeymoon of your dreams, or maybe it allows more time to focus on other exciting life events. My advice for all things wedding related is to do what you want! Honor yourselves and make the decisions that are best for YOU!
Q: Can you share how the pandemic as impacted your wedding plans?
Jess: When the pandemic hit, our entire wedding flashed before our eyes. Our wedding is on September 5, 2020, and we waited it out for as long as we could while coming up with a plan B. We are moving forward with our 150-guest wedding in September with guidelines, so things will look and feel different than we originally planned.
Jess: As a bride and an individual who works in the wedding industry, my advice is that love isn't canceled. I have witnessed and photographed couples' "Plan B weddings." To be honest, it turned out way more personal and emotional than their original vision. These weddings serve as a reminder that love can shine through, no matter what we're facing.
Mikaela: It put everything on hold! There was so much uncertainty and additional stress, we decided it would be best to enjoy the process and move our wedding date out to next summer.
Q: In what ways have you found alternative solutions to continue wedding planning and celebrating?
Lindsey: I have gotten creative by doing a lot of stuff online, and homemade. I have made all my own decorations (center prices, flower bouquets, flower arrangements, etc.) With everything being closed there was no time to waste!
Lindsey: Take it one day at a time and don’t stress over things you cannot control. No matter what remember love is what brought you to this point and love will get you through this.
Q: What changes have you made to your wedding plans due to COVID-19?
Julianne: Our wedding was originally July 4th, 2020 and we decided to postpone until late November. It was not an easy decision. We want to be married and celebrate with our family and friends but the health and safety of our loved ones is more important. After we postponed a weight was lifted off our shoulders knowing we did the right thing.
Q: What ways have you found to continue moving forward in wedding planning and celebrating?
Julianne: Originally, we were not able to get engagement photos done. Once we postponed we decided to get engagement photos done and it was the best decision! It brought back the excitement of being engaged and helped us forget the stress about moving our wedding date. We have our wedding planning on hold, but we are looking forward to the cake and food tasting.
Q: What encouragement do you have for other couples who are trying to wedding plan during the pandemic?
Julianne: You are not alone! All brides understand what you are going through. Many vendors have worked together to come up with a “COVID Guide” so reach out to your vendors and see if they have resources like that. I’ve found it helpful to follow event planners on Instagram. Wedding planners have some great advice on how to navigate this new normal. And remember to have fun. I know it’s not a typical way to plan a wedding but in the end, you will be married to your best friend. Everyone says the wedding day goes by so quickly, but so does the planning process. Enjoy every minute!
As you plan your wedding during this uncertain time, there's no better advice than the experience of those who are weathering this storm along with you. Looking back on my wedding plans, although I was not planning amidst a pandemic, the memories that stick out are not the stressful ones. I cling to the joyful memories of enjoying our engagement and wedding planning. I promise the best is yet to come!
Follow Pearhead on Instagram and Pinterest! Stay in the know on all the latest product launches, and find thoughtful inspiration for gift-giving, DIY doing, keepsake making, and more!
As you celebrate your engagement and plan for your big day, don't forget to check out Pearhead's wedding gifts and keepsakes. Not planning a wedding? No problem! Pearhead's thoughtfully designed wedding items make the perfect gift for any couple.
love is not canceled: hear from brides on how they are navigating wedding planning during a pandemic
Stephanie and Chris
photo by William ChoiQ: How has the pandemic impacted your wedding planning?
Stephanie: My fiancé and I have been taking it day by day, following the news closely to see what guidelines are released. Our outdoor wedding will be in the fall, but we are very flexible with doing a Zoom wedding and postponing to next year. As long as everyone feels safe!
Q: How have you gotten creative with wedding planning while continuing to celebrate your engagement during the pandemic?
Stephanie: Under stay at home orders, I have a lot of free time to work on the creative side of wedding planning. Since I am a designer, I was able to make my own decorations, invitations, website! It’s so much fun!
Q: What advice do you have for other couples who are planning their weddings during this uncertain time?
Stephanie: Find flexible vendors. We found amazing vendors willing to partner with us for both our current and postponement dates. Make sure any contracts cover this. We are so thankful as we are all navigating these uncertain times together.
Ashley and Charlie
Q: How have wedding plans changed for you as a result of COVID-19? Ashley: It has definitely been difficult planning our wedding during this time. Our wedding is in North Carolina so we’ve been planning things from afar to begin with. Because it was unsafe to travel we hadn’t been able to do some things like engagement photos and food tasting. We recently decided to postpone the big ceremony to next October because most of our guests are traveling and there is still a lot of uncertainty about how the rest of the year will go. Postponing has given us more time to plan and go in person to pick out rentals, do fittings, etc.
Q: What creative ways have you found to continue wedding planning and celebrating?
Ashley: We did not feel comfortable flying on a plane, so we decided to drive down to North Carolina, a 7.5-hour road trip to tackle some to-dos. I picked up my dress, we did our food tasting, and finally did our engagement photos! It was our first road trip so that was pretty cool and will be a special memory when we look back.
Q: Any words of wisdom for couples who are wedding planning during this uncertain time?
Ashley: Be patient and try to find the best in this tough situation. Try to keep planning even if your wedding is postponed or do something fun or wedding-related that still makes you feel like a bride!
Hannah and Tim
Q: Share some creative ways you have been able to wedding plan and celebrate during the pandemic.
Hannah: We were planning to get married in August of 2020 but decided to postpone to Fall 2021. The silver lining is we initially wanted a fall wedding, but the venue we fell in love with didn't have any fall dates for 2020. I have been able to use this extra time to collect decor and plan the fall wedding of our dreams! To honor our original date we are planning a little getaway weekend to celebrate and enjoy each other.
Q: What advice do you have for other couples on how to make the most of this time?
Hannah: First things first, look for the positives. If you have to postpone, find ways to celebrate this extra time being engaged. Maybe postponing provides you the opportunity to save more money to have the honeymoon of your dreams, or maybe it allows more time to focus on other exciting life events. My advice for all things wedding related is to do what you want! Honor yourselves and make the decisions that are best for YOU!
Jess and Joe
Jess: When the pandemic hit, our entire wedding flashed before our eyes. Our wedding is on September 5, 2020, and we waited it out for as long as we could while coming up with a plan B. We are moving forward with our 150-guest wedding in September with guidelines, so things will look and feel different than we originally planned.
Q: Advice for fellow brides and couples planning their weddings during the pandemic?
Jess: As a bride and an individual who works in the wedding industry, my advice is that love isn't canceled. I have witnessed and photographed couples' "Plan B weddings." To be honest, it turned out way more personal and emotional than their original vision. These weddings serve as a reminder that love can shine through, no matter what we're facing.
Mikaela and Adam
Mikaela: It put everything on hold! There was so much uncertainty and additional stress, we decided it would be best to enjoy the process and move our wedding date out to next summer.
Q: What advice do you have for couples who have also had to postpone? Mikaela: Definitely listen to your gut feeling and don’t let anyone else influence your wedding planning decisions. Make the decision that is right for you.
"...love can shine through, no matter what we're facing."
Lindsey and Brandon
Q: In what ways have you found alternative solutions to continue wedding planning and celebrating?
Lindsey: I have gotten creative by doing a lot of stuff online, and homemade. I have made all my own decorations (center prices, flower bouquets, flower arrangements, etc.) With everything being closed there was no time to waste!
Q: Any words of wisdom for fellow couples who are also wedding planning?
Lindsey: Take it one day at a time and don’t stress over things you cannot control. No matter what remember love is what brought you to this point and love will get you through this.
Julianne and Owen
Q: What changes have you made to your wedding plans due to COVID-19? Julianne: Our wedding was originally July 4th, 2020 and we decided to postpone until late November. It was not an easy decision. We want to be married and celebrate with our family and friends but the health and safety of our loved ones is more important. After we postponed a weight was lifted off our shoulders knowing we did the right thing.
Q: What ways have you found to continue moving forward in wedding planning and celebrating?
Julianne: Originally, we were not able to get engagement photos done. Once we postponed we decided to get engagement photos done and it was the best decision! It brought back the excitement of being engaged and helped us forget the stress about moving our wedding date. We have our wedding planning on hold, but we are looking forward to the cake and food tasting.
Q: What encouragement do you have for other couples who are trying to wedding plan during the pandemic?
Julianne: You are not alone! All brides understand what you are going through. Many vendors have worked together to come up with a “COVID Guide” so reach out to your vendors and see if they have resources like that. I’ve found it helpful to follow event planners on Instagram. Wedding planners have some great advice on how to navigate this new normal. And remember to have fun. I know it’s not a typical way to plan a wedding but in the end, you will be married to your best friend. Everyone says the wedding day goes by so quickly, but so does the planning process. Enjoy every minute!
As you plan your wedding during this uncertain time, there's no better advice than the experience of those who are weathering this storm along with you. Looking back on my wedding plans, although I was not planning amidst a pandemic, the memories that stick out are not the stressful ones. I cling to the joyful memories of enjoying our engagement and wedding planning. I promise the best is yet to come!
Follow Pearhead on Instagram and Pinterest! Stay in the know on all the latest product launches, and find thoughtful inspiration for gift-giving, DIY doing, keepsake making, and more!