Planning a Post COVID Wedding in Nashville
Updated: Jun 22, 2022
2020 is finally behind us, and 2022-2023 wedding season is upon us. At Classic Wedding Designs, we’ve already seen an uptick in weddings being planned for later in the year and next year (and we could not be more excited!). Nevertheless, we should still be “COVID-conscious” as we plan weddings during Covid-19, even in 2022, 2023 and beyond. And the good news is, couples have gotten very good at turning COVID restrictions into opportunities to reimagine their weddings in thoughtful, creative ways. We think we’ll see many of those trends continue well into 2023 and beyond.
In the spirit of making the most of our new normal, we thought we’d share some tips to help you prepare for some of the challenges you may see as you plan or re-schedule your wedding.
PLAN FOR EXTRA COMPETITION ON YOUR WEDDING DATE
Booking a venue and vendors on your ideal wedding date is always competitive, but it could be even more difficult now. Why? Couples who originally set a date to get married in 2020 or 2021 but had to postpone their weddings are now rescheduling them. Add to that the newly engaged couples who are starting from scratch, and you’ve got a lot of competition.
For example, a client hired us in 2021 for a wedding in 2022. They had their heart set on getting married at a specific venue because a couple of their friends had been married there before. We made booking the venue our first priority for them, but wouldn't you know that we were unable to secure their first pick because of the continued fallout from COVID. We were able to do some research, make some calls to a few venues that we have close relationships with, and secure them a beautiful venue for their selected date at a cheaper price point. Another reason why hiring a competent wedding planner works in your favor.
SIZE MATTERS IN A PANDEMIC
When it comes to wedding size, your first consideration these days should be the city and state’s health department’s regulations. Your vendors and/or wedding planner should be aware of any local regulations, and the CDC keeps its website updated with the latest federal recommendations and advisories. Even if regulations allow for larger gatherings, it may be in the best interest of you and your loved ones to keep the size of your wedding smaller. There are several ways to do this while keeping all your friends and family included in the celebration:
Elope with just a few of your closest friends and family in attendance, and plan to host a bigger celebration at a later date, such as your anniversary.
Livestream your wedding ceremony and invite additional guests to tune in. You might also consider having a micro wedding, which a wedding with no more than 50 guests. It allows you to allocate more of your budget towards decor and those special intimate details, so if you have an over the top decor vision for your wedding, a micro wedding might be the way to go.
GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR VENUE
Smaller weddings open a whole new world when it comes to your Nashville wedding venue. After all, there’s no need for a ballroom for a party of 25.
If you’re planning a Nashville wedding, think about renting a historic home or estate in Franklin, Tennessee, rather than a hotel or more traditional event space, and having your celebration out on the lawn. With AirBnB and Vrbo, your options are virtually limitless, and you can turn your wedding into a fun weekend getaway with your closest friends and family. Using an estate or AirBnB is going to require hiring a professional wedding planner who is familiar with working in historic homes or knows the vendors best suited to work in this environment. We have been approved and worked in many private estates and even a few AirBnB's, so we know what it takes to make things run smoothly on your wedding day.
It’s important to let your host know that you will be having an event during your stay, and that you plan on adhering to COVID guidelines. It’s also imperative to make sure your vendors will service a more remote location. In addition, when you have a non-traditional venue such as a historic house, you may need to hire more vendors since many private rental properties won’t have tables or chairs or enough dishes to serve your guests. Opting for a full-service wedding planning company, like Classic Wedding Designs, to take care of all those small details would be ideal.
TAKE THE NECESSARY HEALTH PRECAUTIONS
We have a full list of COVID measures that we suggest to our clients, but here are just a few.
Cutting back out-of-town guests may be a good place to start. Traveling increases the risk of COVID-19 exposure and transmission, so the fewer guests who must fly or stay in a hotel, the better.
Make a seating chart that groups people who already see each other on a daily basis together.
When you can, plan for social distancing between households.
For the day of the wedding, be sure to stock up on hand sanitizer, as well as masks.
Planning and hosting a wedding in the time of COVID-19 can actually be exciting! With a little ingenuity and compromise, you can create a memorable, safe event for all involved. As your wedding planner, it is our job to make planning your wedding as stress free as possible. Contact us today to learn more about how we are helping our couples combat COVID-19 during wedding planning.