So you recently got engaged, or got engaged this year… and then the world changes amidst this coronavirus situation and you’re left wondering: how do I start planning amidst COVID-19? Should I still plan? Is it worth it?
I’m here to help you in that process! Stick around.. you’ll be excited to plan again before too long 🙂
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BE EXCITED
Yes. You can be empathetic towards the couples who have needed to change their plans because of everything that has happened. But you also have every right to still be excited for your own plans! Don’t let this situation bring you down or make you feel ashamed or guilty for wanting to still plan. Plan your hearts out and be excited – I think the world needs more of that 🙂
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Hold off on planning any gatherings or celebrations (social distancing)
So there will be some hard decisions that will be made, which is why I encouraged you to stay positive and stay excited. Your journey of planning your wedding will be one that no ones has had to work through for over a hundred years.. it’s okay to not know what to do or to not have all the answers. But just know, that because of the social distancing that is in place, you might have to be okay with the idea of having a virtual bridal shower, bachelorette or even wedding ceremony. But the more you come to grips with that and get creative on how to make it special. The more memories you will make that you wouldn’t have otherwise!
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If you are in the beginning stages of planning, it might be good to just plan for 2021
I’m pretty sure all of us would hope and pray that this is all blown over by the end of this year. But just as quickly as our world changed in a matter of weeks, we also have to adapt and be realistic about it “going back to normal.” It’s going to take time for people to be comfortable and confident with socializing in big groups and traveling. So I would say planning a mid-later 2021 wedding would be wise! It eliminates any worry of planning a wedding for this year and not knowing if you’ll need to postpone.
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It’s actually a good idea to start reaching out to vendors NOW
So there might be some thoughts in your heads of, “Since we should plan for so much later… we don’t need to worry about booking anything now right? Because we have plenty of time?”
Actually… it’s a good idea to start now. Not only do you have other 2021 couples looking to book vendors and locations for their wedding day, you also have 2020 couples who are scheduling for next year – which means dates are being snatched up twice as quick as normal. If you have an idea of which vendors you are interested in, I would reach out to them now and lock them in! But definitely start researching now if you have no idea.
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Be flexible
Prior to this, we could pretty confidently plan what we wanted and 95% of it would come to pass (there’s always factors that we can’t control like weather, guests, etc) but now, with things changing as quickly as a few hours, there will definitely be a need for being flexible with plans and holding things with an open hand – willing to change them if necessary! It definitely sucks knowing you may not necessarily get exactly what you wanted, but I have had ALL of my past couples tell me that one of the biggest pieces of advice they could give was to be okay with the idea that nothing will be perfect, and I think that advice applies even more so now during this time!
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Do your research and stay updated
This applies for ANYONE planning a wedding. It’s so important to do your research so that you know what to expect! If you don’t know where to start, you can download this wedding planning checklist for free to give you an idea of what should be checked off each month leading up to your wedding! Especially now, stay updated with the CDC to know what the guidelines are for social gatherings!
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Elope 🙂
I mean if you’re not one for big, large weddings.. you can always elope! Now before you gasp.. eloping has evolved A LOT in the last 10-15 years. It’s not running away together without anyone else knowing anymore (thought those can still totally be categorized as eloping still) it’s evolved now into a more planned, intimate setting with just you two or a very small group of family/friends. My husband and I went to AZ to get married because at the time, SoCal wasn’t issuing marriage licenses (they are now though, in Orange County) and that could definitely be categorized as an elopement! But even doing a backyard setting at a much smaller scale is doable.
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Understand you may, or may not, be able to take engagement photos (depending on when your date is)
There are two factors to this: 1) all vendors are going to approach this time differently. Some are going to be uncomfortable with the idea of working right now and others won’t feel as convicted about it. It’s just important that whoever you book you guys have a conversation about it!
2) A lot of the more popular places to shoot are closed down right now. Any national parks or state parks or any areas patrolled by rangers will be closed. And with city/county offices being closed, acquiring a permit for use in those areas will probably be impossible. That doesn’t mean there aren’t areas to photograph, but beaches are also closed. I think it would be much less stressful to photograph couples when we’re not worrying about being caught 😉
If you would like to download my FREE Wedding Resource Guide for couples planning during this pandemic CLICK HERE. 🙂
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