Especially in Utah, a wedding is a huge party where many friends and large families gather together to celebrate. Since the pandemic hit earlier this year, those friends and family have been turned away left and right and haven’t been allowed to celebrate their loved ones’ big day. Picking and choosing your wedding party amidst such a hard time has also proven to be stressful and challenging.
The Wedding Party
The most obvious people to include would be immediate family members. For someone with multiple sisters, maybe picking your bridesmaids has already been taken care of! The next choice in who to include in your bridal party would be close friends, or siblings of your spouse-to-be. This takes care of the bridesmaids and groomsmen.
The question that arises among the challenges that come with a wedding in a pandemic is, “How do I keep everyone safe?” Certain family members and loved ones may be high-risk because of pre-existing medical conditions or age. This complicates the process and it’s hard to decide whether or not to include them in your celebration. The best way to go about this is to keep the safety of your loved ones in mind, as well as remind your guests that they are attending at their own risk.
The Reception and the Ceremony
Since these conditions on social gatherings and large parties have been limited this year, the most common solution we’ve seen is a postponed party. Many bride and grooms have had a small, intimate gathering with the promise that in six months, there will be a party with cake and dancing. In many instances, couples have found that they really liked having a small wedding with the few people they’re closest to in attendance; they liked the intimacy and the simplicity of it.
Another solution to this limit in people able to gather together have been zoom weddings. People who may not be in the bridal party, or are at high risk of exposure, can tune in to the live stream of the ceremony and enjoy it from the comfort and safety of their couches. Everyone gets to celebrate and “be there” for your nuptials even though they may not have been able to be there physically. Again, many couples have found this solution helpful and enjoyable because of the intimacy of their ceremony and the simplicity.
There are many other great solutions to having a wedding in a pandemic, but one thing’s for sure; COVID can’t stop love. The most important thing is being with the ones you love and celebrating that love you and your spouse share with one another every day.
Please leave a comment and tell us how you have worked around this pandemic –
