Did you know that there are nearly 2.5 million weddings every year in the United States? March of 2020 brought that number to a screeching halt. With increasing numbers of micro-weddings and elopements, weddings are still going on. While many were pushed ahead to 2021 in hopes of more COVID-19 containment, that just means that planning for your 2021 wedding NOW is more important than ever. So, if you’re planning a 2021 wedding, here’s how COVID-19 might affect you.
Reserve Those Dates
With more people than ever taking their long-planned wedding dates off the table this year due to COVID, that just means that the 2021 wedding season calendar for venues and vendors is filling up. If you’re planning a 2021 wedding, look at the calendar NOW, talk with your proposed venue and vendors NOW and lock it in. As we’ve already seen—moving things is a lot easier to do than not being able to book anything at all. Many vendors and venues are trying to recover lost income from the heavy impact that COVID has had with regard to gatherings so you might get lucky with some specials they’re running.
Be Patient
Many of the vendors involved with the wedding planning industry have been doing everything they can to ensure your day is incredible no matter what’s thrown your way. They have had to work with shifting dates, venues, and guestlists. That means that for many wedding professionals there has been a pivot in their time and talents, as well as many of their business practices.
Keep in mind that while weddings will continue to move back to normal, there will also be safety precautions like less face to face meetings. No matter what precautions are taken, talented wedding professionals will still be providing the highest level of care and consideration for your event.
Professionals Planners Are Important
You may have decided to tackle the wedding planning yourself, with the help of trusted vendors and friends and family guiding you through the process. We understand that, and in a normal year that would probably work out just fine.
But, 2020 has taught us that normal is a relative word, and we’re not sure what 2021 will look like. That’s why having a professional wedding planner is imperative. A wedding planner will be the one who tackles the tasks of rescheduling, readjusting and reconfiguring the logistics of your wedding should COVID regulations require that to happen. We’re pretty sure weddings in 2021 won’t look like they did pre-March 2020, but whatever they look like, a professional planner to help you wade through whatever comes. If you’ve already been working with a coordinator, it may be time to look at a full-service planning package to ensure that the curve balls that may come get hit out of the park every time.
Wedding Insurance is Not Optional
No one could have foreseen what 2020 was going to look like, and while many insurance policies already in place were just as taken back with the goings-on as we all were, 2020 has taught us to never rule anything out and be as prepared for any situation that may make us need to change plans. We hope to never need to use it, but in this day and age, a little peace of mind will go a long way.
Say Yes To A Dress Nearby Or Be Prepared To Wait A While
Remember that many of the dresses you’ve been looking at and pining over are from international designers. Every country in the world has had the pandemic affect them in different ways, and if you’ve been dreaming of a dress from an international designer? You may need to build in at least 6-8 months of lead time to ensure you have it on time.
Now is the time to consider at least looking at off the rack options, or finding a designer who is primarily in North America. As we’ve seen with runs on toilet paper, cleaning wipes, yeast, and even chest freezers, there’s no way to know where a kink in the supply chain will all of a sudden effect you, and you don’t want it to be with what you’re wearing.
The same goes for alterations. Ensure you can get your dress to the seamstress with a good 8-12 weeks of lead time. It’s better to have it done early rather than late.
Clear Guest List Communication
Sadly, one of the hardest things about planning a wedding during a pandemic is that we have no idea how many people can safely gather to celebrate. Limited gatherings and numbers of people who can safely join you may change by the week, and there is no until closer to your date. For that reason, it might not be a bad idea to make sure your guest list is prioritized in order of ‘must be there’ to ‘would be nice’. We’ve seen many brides in tears over who she needs to allow to come and who she needs to exclude. We have learned that having a plan in advance saves some heartache in the long run.
Planning a wedding during COVID has put us all in weird places that we never dreamed we would be. Still, we’re resilient, and when love is on the table, we’re determined, and planning a 2021 wedding is still a joyous occasion. Know that we’re here to help and that whatever comes your way, we’ll walk through it with you to get you down that aisle and to your happily ever after.
Check out some of our other posts about planning your wedding during a pandemic.
Guide to Rescheduling Your Wedding
Planning a Wedding During a Pandemic
