Since the coronavirus outbreak has confined a lot of us to our homes, many of our planned events were either canceled or postponed; from business trips to music festivals, all spheres of life have been affected.
However, while staying at home and being safe is the most important thing. We cannot overlook that this situation has put a big damper on many people’s plans.
Individuals that were planning on getting married during spring or summer will now have to pause on their plans and wait until the travel restrictions and social distancing measures have been lifted to organize their big day, regardless of whether they were planning a destination wedding or a local one. In case you’ve also found yourself in this situation, not all is lost.
Being stuck at home comes with some benefits as well. You will have more time to prepare for the wedding and make sure every detail is taken care of.
Keep on reading for some of the best ways how you can use this quarantine to your advantage and have the nuptials of your dreams.
Start following industry experts on social media:
Just like experts from all fields are on social media, so are those in the wedding industry. They post all sorts of content, from décor ideas to interesting locations to various tips and tricks you can use when organizing your big day.
Plus, you can also look for podcasts from wedding planners and vendors as well as learn from some real-life couples to see how they handled certain issues.
Read various wedding planning guides:
With all this time at your disposal, you should be able to read plenty of wedding planning guides. They will provide you with essential advice when it comes to planning every step of your nuptials, from finding the right wedding planner and picking the right location all the way to the duties of your wedding party and planning the after-party.
Look for useful apps to download:
While you can use notebooks to keep track of all your tasks, you can also look for some wedding planning apps that will keep everything in check. These handy apps can connect you to vendors, florists, photographers, and help you calculate all your expenses. The best thing is that a lot of them are free.
Research available dates
While there is no way of telling how long the quarantine will be in place in certain countries, you still need to start looking for the date for the ceremony. Do some research to see whether there are any indications to when the lockdown might be lifted in your area. Having an approximate date means that you can start contacting the attendees and figuring out the guest list.
If you plan on throwing a destination wedding, you will have to check the rules and regulations of that location when it comes to the coronavirus. This is very important as you don’t want to travel to a country you know nothing about and put everyone in danger.
On the other hand, if you’ve already started planning the entire thing and made reservations, call all involved vendors to see whether they offer refunds and if they are willing to reschedule for free.
Set up virtual venue tours:
It doesn’t matter if you plan on getting married in Australia, Costa Rica, or Paris, you can surely find some local venues online and check out their photos.
If you like what you see, contact them to see whether they are still in business, if they will be open in the near future and whether they have any openings. If there are available spots that match your timeline, you should jump at this opportunity.
However, to ensure space matches your needs, ask if they can give you a virtual tour where they take you through the venue and show you all the amenities.
Shop for the right attire:
In addition to looking for the right venue, you can also find the right attire over the internet. Luckily, there are many online retailers that you can turn to that provide you with a bunch of different styles of gowns and tuxes.
Some even offer the services of a virtual stylist and you’re allowed to return the dress/suit if it doesn’t fit you. Don’t forget about the various accessories you will need, from shoes to jewellery.
Hire the essential staff
Seeing as how you should only leave your home for essentials like grocery shopping, you will have to book all the necessary staff online as well. If you’re planning on getting married in a foreign country that might have already lifted the coronavirus restrictions, you have to check whether the venues, companies, and individuals are already booked. It’s better to get local florists and caterers as well as a local photographer as they will know all the best spots for taking wedding photos. This way, you are not paying for the transport costs of all these professionals.
Register for gifts:
The right date, venue, and attire are all important, but you cannot forget about all the small tasks that you will also have to do before the wedding. So, start doing them now as well—for example, your gift registry.
People will surely ask you which items you need, so why not make a list of things you require? Most major stores are still operating online, and you can easily curate a registry that your guests will be able to use.
Write your vows:
If you plan on writing your own vows, take this time to do just that. Plenty of people don’t know what to put into their vows and often leave it for the last minute. You don’t want the words you say to your loved one at the altar to be rushed and haphazardly put together.
If this time in quarantine has made your relationship even stronger, use a charming anecdote that will help you illustrate your point and show everyone what it is that you love about your spouse-to-be.
Start writing thank-you notes in advance:
There is something else you can write in advance – the thank-you notes you will be giving your guests. In case some of the presents for the postponed wedding already arrived, thank the people that sent them and tell them how excited you are to see them at the ceremony.
Come up with unique cocktail recipes:
Seeing as how you are staying at home most of the time, there is no risk of drunk driving, which means that you can try out new cocktails every other evening. Get a bunch of your favourite liquors and some mixers and try out various types of drinks that you are considering for your wedding reception. Pick out a few you like best and consider making your own to have a signature cocktail for the wedding.
As you can see, just because we have to stay inside to help fight COVID-19, it doesn’t mean that we cannot start preparing for our upcoming events.
If planning nuptials, you will have more time to consider every detail and make sure this is truly the wedding of your dreams. Sure, you will have to take care of a lot of logistic matters and organize most things online. But it will be worth it seeing as how you will be able to have your ceremony as soon as this whole unfortunate situation is over.
