It’s hard enough planning a wedding as is…and it’s certainly not any easier during a pandemic..
Event planning professionals have the responsibility of hosting celebrations that are not only thoughtfully planned and beautifully designed, but also safe for the special guests that are attending with much anticipation and joy. The events being hosted now look a lot different from previous years.
Beyond the smaller guest counts (typically 50 or less attendees), celebrations are being modified further with more spacious floor plans that allow for physical distancing.
Here are some ways that weddings now look and feel different:
Instead of full tables of guests, each table should only seat at maximum six guests and all seating (at ceremony, cocktail hour and dinner) should be contained, as best as possible, to the household social bubbles.
Plated dinner service is the preferred and safest choice compared to traditional buffets.
The most challenging part, especially for Iranian weddings where guests love to dance from start to finish, is the restriction on dancing. This is a primary reason why most couples are waiting to celebrate at a later time.
While compromises have to be made, there is something special about these intimate celebrations.
For couples that do not enjoy having too much attention from too many people, they are able to feel more relaxed knowing the guest count must remain intimate. Now, the guests that are invited are the immediate families or the closest of friends. Guests are becoming more punctual than ever and genuinely grateful to be there. The genuineness can be contagious as the energies at these celebrations become more emotional.
Hasti Maloufi
Owner + Lead Planner of La Vista Events
You will finally be able to enjoy speeches. With less distractions and less guests in the crowd, those giving speeches receive the attention they deserve and can deliver more heartfelt and impactful messages as a result.
The other advantage is the opportunity to splurge on more beautiful and detailed touches with enhanced design plans, decor and flowers. These personalized touches allow the couples’ true style to be better reflected in a more intimate setting.
If you are planning a wedding in the near future, consider this advice:
- If you’re not in a rush to host a large celebration, then wait!
- You can still get legally married with a smaller group of loved ones and plan to party when there are less restrictions.
- When determining when to invite guests, you need to decide what makes more sense to you and your families. Would you rather notify and invite all the guests, knowing there is a chance you will need to postpone or wait until closer to the wedding, or only invite the guests based on the capacity of what is realistic?
More than anything, be patient, flexible and realistic when making wedding plans in 2021. Be patient with your guests as they may take longer to confirm their attendance. Be flexible if your plans have to shift at the last minute. Be realistic about the plans you make.
Remain cautiously optimistic and hopeful, but don’t forget why you’re getting married in the first place.
