5 Tips on Wedding Planning During COVID-19
It was March 12th, 2020 when the CDC issued restrictions on all mass gatherings which meant no more weddings in the foreseeable future. A billion-dollar industry nearly wiped away in a matter of minutes; along with dreams, designs and plans that have been in the making for years. I don’t know about you, but I started planning my wedding when I was 12 years old – designing a wedding dress for my barbie doll and practicing my first dance with a pillowcase on my head. Weddings are _________.
As we wait, our minds start to wonder, will weddings ever be the same? Will 150-300 people ever want to be in a room dancing closely again? We say YES! Yes, we will get back to weddings the way they have been for hundreds of years. You know why, because this is what we live for. We live to celebrate all the amazing accomplishments, relationships and milestones in each other’s lives, and we live to do so with the ones closest to us.
Kyle Michelle Weddings wants to help accomplish that. Some people have been planning their wedding for their whole life, that’s why we’ve been working day and night to communicate with venues, switch dates, check with vendors to make sure they can accommodate the changes and most of all, be there whenever our couple needs us. We are working endlessly to make sure that this transition is as smooth as possible.
Photo: Hudson Nichols Photography
5 Pro Tips
1. Bigger does not mean better.
Remember that it's not always about having the biggest guest count when it comes to having your dream wedding. A lot of your budget gets allocated towards the amount of guests. The fewer guests, the more you can explore your budget and make the express / micro wedding represent the two of you as a couple. Trust me, it will still be nothing less than perfection.
2. Thoughtfully reschedule with vendors.
In regards to rescheduling your wedding in general, take a look at the most important parts of your wedding and go from there. Is the wedding venue the most important aspect to you? If so, find a date that they're available and then check with your vendors and vice versa. A lot of our couples are willing to change their venue date, but not willing to budge on their photographer, so that would be the person you check for availability first.
3. Digital invitations and a wedding website are a must!
This way you can keep your guests updated with every change without breaking the bank. Our express package includes a custom website with RSVP capabilities to make life a bit easier.
4. Be decisive and go with your gut.
Sign contracts and lockdown vendors quickly and schedule virtual meetings that work for both parties immediately as opposed to waiting on it (sometimes time isn't in your favor.)
5. Most importantly, hire appropriately.
Find a wedding planner who gets you and understands your overall wedding vision. This is key as you will have little time to make decisions and you will need someone who can suggest one or two vendors who completely match your style, budget and personality. Furthermore, trust all your vendors! After months of no weddings, florists will be exploding with creativity, photographers will be shooting their best shots and wedding planners will take full control, let them!
Spring, Summer and even some Fall weddings are being postponed and changed due to uncertainty and risk. But what happens if things start to open up in the Summer or Fall and you can now have gatherings, you can be in hotels, venues and vendors / guests have the choice to wear a face mask or not This is where we come in! Say hello to EXPRESS Weddings. This package is for the bride who just can’t wait until 2021, the couples who want to have a unique backyard wedding with 50 people, the ones who want a really cool elopement with 10 friends and the couple who says, “Hey, let’s get married earlier since venues and vendors will be super cheap!” We will express the wedding planning process in weeks – months to get the couple the best deal, the best experience and ultimately, the best day of their lives. Some of the most wanted vendors will now be available and open for a discount, the venues will be begging for some business, and most importantly, guests will be excited to get out of the house and have a reason to celebrate love and happiness. (And yes, this is our livelihood so we are trying our best to stay positive and hopeful as it is all we can do right now.) We’re offering this opportunity, so people are no longer delaying their lives and celebrating it instead!
We absolutely love planning and designing weddings and events. Planning all the glorious details of your dream come true day is our dream come true profession and we take it extremely seriously, especially during this tough time. Our ability to operate as a seamless team is something we've had a lifetime to perfect and we’re ready to express it!
- Associate Planner: Erin McConville
- Event Planning & Design: Kyle Michelle Weddings
- Photographers: Hudson Nichols Photography
- Photographers: Afrik Photography
- Photographers: Parker Young