Three Ways to Get Married Amidst Coronavirus

The moment you’ve been waiting for just happened: The love of your life just got down on one knee to propose! You’ve called all of your friends and family, shared the news on Instagram and started dreaming of the most beautiful wedding ever… until you remember… there’s a pandemic going on out there. Sound familiar?

You’re not alone. So many of our couples have found themselves in this position. The good news is that you have a few options and can tweak any of the basic concepts to fit what feels right for you two.

Here are some of the most popular coronavirus wedding planning strategies that our 2020 couples have adopted and the pros and cons to each of them. I’ve also sprinkled a few intimate wedding videos throughout to get you thinking about what might be your best option.

1. Elope during Covid19

For many couples, myself included, the thought of eloping has always sounded awesome: Hiking up to a giant cliff, finding a quiet spot where the breeze is blowing and the birds are peacefully chirping, hiding behind a tree to put on a killer wedding dress, saying “I do” with just you, your love and mother nature (plus the people who make it happen and document it so you can share it later!) and then dropping the surprise bomb on everyone you know. Nix the stress of planning a giant party and no fuss around the bridal shower and other events… ahhh what a dream!

If this sounds appealing to you, this might just be the perfect option for your wedding during Covid19.

Pros of Eloping during Covid19

• You can get married to your love ASAP!
• Intimate, cozy feeling to your wedding
• Less expensive as you generally don’t need to pay for a venue, food or drinks
• You can incorporate unique/hard-to-get-to setting in nature for your ceremony⁠
• Don’t need to wait for a temperate season to have an outdoor wedding (we’ve seen some incredible snowy elopements!)
• You can always add a reception later

Cons of Eloping during Covid19

• ⁠Family and/or friends can’t attend unless you live-stream or get a wedding video (we’ve gotcha covered for both!)⁠
• Your day might be a far stretch from what you’ve envisioned for your wedding⁠

2. Host a Micro Wedding during Covid 19

When I was thinking about my wedding, eloping definitely sounded tempting but one thought always rushed to the front of my mind and blocked all of the dreamy elopement ideas I had: MY PARENTS WOULD KILL ME!

If Jim and Kathy would rather jump off a cliff than see their daughter get married on a cliff without them by her side, a micro wedding might be your best bet. A micro wedding is basically an elopement with a teeny tiny guest list. This could be your parents only, or immediate families only or immediate families and a friend or two each.

However you do it, the general idea is that you have fewer than 20 people. This could be with or without a reception. The ceremony (and reception, if you choose) could be hosted somewhere interesting in nature, somewhere cute in your town, at a small restaurant or just in your backyard.

Pros of Having a Micro Wedding

• You can get married ASAP!
• You have lots of choices for your ceremony space since you have a very small guest list
• Intimate, family-only vibe
• You still get the feeling of a traditional wedding

Cons of Having a Micro Wedding

• You may be restricted to hosting the wedding entirely outside, depending on your state or the venue’s rules
• You can always add a (small or big) reception later
• Extended family and some friends can’t attend unless you live-stream or get a wedding video
• Your day might be a far stretch from what you’ve envisioned for your wedding⁠

3. Host a Sequel Wedding after COVID19 Dies Down

A sequel wedding is when you get married now and have a party later.

The “get married now” part could range from a quick city hall trip to elopement-style nuptials in nature to a backyard rendezvous with an officiant and your closest family members.

The “have a party later” could be a wedding reception next season or next year. Many of our couples who are opting for this route are having their sequel wedding on their first anniversary. The reception could include another wedding ceremony too if there is a specific church where you have always wanted to get married but can’t because of current restrictions. There’s really no wrong way to do it!

Pros of Hosting a Sequel Wedding

• Get married now but celebrate longer⁠
• Two different celebrations to experience = intimate family wedding + big blowout⁠
• Get to celebrate with everyone on your original guest list
• After the wedding ceremony, you can “get on with your life” and make big life moves, like buying a house together or even having your first child, before the second celebration

Cons of Hosting a Sequel Wedding

• Double the celebration could mean double the wedding budget
• Friends still miss the actual ceremony, unless you live-stream or get a wedding video⁠
• You may be restricted to hosting the wedding entirely outside, depending on your state, the venue’s rules and when your events happen

4. Set a Wedding Date in the Distant Future

If you just can’t imagine your wedding without 250 of your closest friends and family, you should consider choosing a date in 2022 or beyond. It sounds far away now, but it will be here before you know it. It’s unclear whether it will be safe to host large parties in 2021 and dates have filled up rapidly with many spring and summer 2020 couples who had no choice but to move their weddings back.

Pros of Postponing Your Wedding due to Coronavirus

• Everyone gets to attend
• Your wedding concept and atmosphere might be closer to what you’ve always envisioned
• One budget for one big day

Cons of Postponing Your Wedding due to Coronavirus

• You may have to wait at least another year to marry your love, if not two years!
• Trends change from year to year, which may date anything you’ve already purchased
• You may have to put certain aspects of your life on hold

Whichever option you choose, remember that your wedding will be a beautiful day no matter what. It’s a milestone so it’s natural to want to celebrate it in a huge way. Whether it’s just the two of you or the 200 of you, it will be a monumental day that you will always cherish and remember.

If you’re stressing that you can’t have everyone you want there, click here to connect with us about live-streaming your wedding and/or getting a wedding video to share with all of your friends and family.