You can still have the wedding of your dreams during the pandemic, “All you need is faith and trust, and a little bit of pixie dust.” ;)

It’s easy to assume a COVID safe wedding can feel completely impossible, but at The Gathering Co., we know for a fact that isn’t the case—that’s a promise! Some alterations need to be made, without a doubt, but it’s absolutely possible to have a beautiful wedding experience right now.

Enjoy a look at the ideas, photos, and videos from our take on a COVID safe wedding experience and decide for yourself!

Covid shoot

What does a COVID safe wedding look like?

In the following sections, we talk you through some of the top mandates/guidelines currently required in North Carolina and how we recommend you navigate through them using creative ideas, prepping your wedding day to be fun and safe!

Let’s address the elephant in the room, what about the dreaded masks? Yes, masks are currently required in all “transit” portions of an event—meaning your guests will need to wear a mask for a large chunk of your big day.

BUT WAIT - inhale and exhale - It’s not as much of a deal-breaker as you’d imagine! For one, masks can be tailored to match your wedding design, color scheme, and even activities!

Here’s a couple of ideas for a simple fix:

1 | Have matching masks for everyone attending!

The black masks we used in the photos below compliment the all black, formal, dress code for the event and are a perfect contrast to the neutrals used in the color palette throughout the wedding. It’s striking, looks fabulous in photos, and the best part is, masks do not have to be worn in the formal photos or down the aisle!

2 | Another fun idea - provide guests with masks that have a pocket or straw hole for sippin’ on that signature drink of yours!

1 - Straw Mask | 2 - Zipper Mask

Rescheduling

When looking to reschedule, we know a few questions come to mind! Not to worry, we have answers! For starters, having a few dates in mind and following a stress-free step-by-step plan with your coordinator will save you precious time and lost sleep. Even if you’re not officially rescheduling, with the uncertainty still lingering in the air as a result of COVID-19, having a couple of options for wedding dates will be useful to you in the long run.

Before making any final rescheduling decisions, connect with your venue and coordinator/planner to finalize policies; be sure to have at least 2 date choices you’d like to explore with your vendor team and bridal party. After that, the best way to gauge your guests’ attendance comfort levels is by setting up an anonymous Google poll.

Check out the following tips and templates to help you in any given reschedule situation—whether you’re in the beginning thought process, on your first reschedule, or maybe even your second or third.

The Google Poll to guests could look something like this:

In lieu of current circumstances, we are thinking about rescheduling our wedding day and would love to hear about your comfort levels. How would you feel if we moved forward with our November 2020 wedding?

Super comfortable
A little uneasy
Won’t be able to make it

As wedding planners, we go through the following steps when working with a couple to begin the rescheduling process (this is why we recommend having a coordinator!) :

1 | Start the conversation about rescheduling with our couple

Contact the venue for policies + availability

2 | Send 1-2 dates to vendors

If the couple decides to move forward with a rescheduled date, we confirm which direction they would like to go in and how they’d like to celebrate.

Small ceremony + full wedding/celebration
Micro wedding on original planned date with potential to reschedule a celebration
Rescheduling the full event, both ceremony and reception, to next year

Following Guidelines

There are several things you need to take into account when prepping for a safe gathering during the pandemic. An important safety measure to consider is guest flow. Pandemic guidelines at the moment (Phase 2) allow for an unlimited number of guests at wedding ceremonies, but the mass gathering limit still applies for after the wedding ceremony.

Currently, weddings are allowed 25 guests outside and 10 inside each separate room, with ceremonies being the exception in number. We are hoping to see a climb in the guests allowed to attend receptions come this Fall and Winter, and will continue to inform our couples as we receive updates.

We’ve brainstormed ways to safely have a wedding day while also having a a blast curating custom timelines and flow! For example, you can have your ceremony, whether it be intimate or full of everyone, and postpone the celebration to after the pandemic, when the dust settles!

Tweak your ceremony a bit to include your guests in the maximum wedding magic. Perform your first dance at the end of the aisle for all to see when your ceremony reaches it’s end. To top it off, serve your guests a to-go box of apps as they leave from taking photos—this could even mean setting up a to-go coffee bar for them to enjoy before going home. This allows them to partake in a touch more of your moments before safely heading home. Following this is a private dinner for just you, your family, and closest friends within the mandate.

In terms of flow, by organizing your guests into groups (let’s call them groups red, blue, and green) you can better manage the limitations. For instance, all groups start out by sitting at the ceremony, within that group you have those guests that will be sitting outside (group red = 25), one group that will sitting in building 1 (group blue = 10), and a third group that will be sitting in building 2 (group green = 10). These groups may consist of your immediate family, bridal party and possibly their dates. After the ceremony these three groups would move on to their respectful rooms to enjoy cocktail hour and dinner. The remaining guests would depart after photos—these are the guests that would be enjoying those to-go boxes and coffees.

The Bar Situation

have a bar for each group area
make sure there is distance between server + guest, and guest to guest

The question of managing food and drink distribution seems like a nightmare to deal with, but proper planning can help wrangle the issue. Consider having two bars or buffet stations to keep the line moving while maintaining the 6 ft. distance guideline for each group. No one wants to deal with a super long line or the byproduct, hangry guests. Nip it in the bud if you can! Fun floor mats or removable stickers on the floor that say, “You’re 5 seconds closer to food!”, or something along those lines can add some whimsy and self-awareness to this issue; these mats/stickers also serve as a 6 ft. distance marker from the buffet or bar area. Make it a point to connect with your planner, venue, and caterer/bar to ensure the flow and safety is intact.

For the safety of your guests, many catering companies are now offering plated instead of buffet/stations at no extra charge. In this case, all food and drinks must be touch-less and the caterer/bartender must serve the guests at all times. Be sure to ask about this when communicating with or selecting your caterer!

Innovative Ideas

Social distancing can get a bit tricky if your guests don’t have some reminders—it happens, we’re only human! A great way to gently remind others of social distancing is by incorporating signs at the peak points of your wedding: the bar, restroom, welcome area, dance floor, and tables and having your DJ/band craft a tasteful way to remind guests as the day goes on.

Having sanitation stations is another thoughtful inclusion at a COVID safe wedding. Hand sanitation for your guests isn’t a safety measure you want to skip over! You can never be too safe! No worries here, your venue should have sanitation stations up for all their events. To take it a step further, you can place hand sanitizer at those peak points of your wedding. This is a great question to bring up with the venue of your choosing!

Dance Floor Ideas

silent disco
multiple dance rooms | different genres

We have good news, depending on your venue space and guest count, you don’t have to fully cancel dancing at your wedding! There are a number of creative ways to stay safe and have fun on the dance floor. Encourage the use of masks on the dance floor and keep some distance between each dancer and group by only allowing dancing to take place within their own rooms/pods. You could also have a silent disco or set up two separate dance rooms depending on mandates during your wedding date. When it comes to the option of two separate rooms, each room could differ based on music taste. One room could be the bride’s favorite music and the other the groom’s favorite, or a room with pop and another with rock. The possibilities are endless!

Remember - don’t give up! Communicate with your vendors and ask as many questions as you need! Your vendors want you and your guests to feel safe and comfortable during this process. A wedding during the pandemic can still be breathtaking and memorable. We hope we provided that hope here for you. :)

All Photo Credit | Brett & Jessica Photography