The Ultimate Guide To Hosting Your COVID Wedding
Thinking about having your wedding in 2020? "Kris...how are you and your team still directing events during the pandemic?!"
This is the question I get asked when I speak to friends or industry pros that ask how business is doing. As pros that love what we do, we have always been in the business of working with our clients through thick and thin. Currently, we are definitely in the thick of things, but nothing is impossible. Right?
During this time we have learned a ton about hosting weddings during a COVID environment. Before I share the best practices of hosting your event during a pandemic, I want you to know that no matter what things we put in place we cannot guarantee that your event will be COVID free. At the end of the day, the best way to not catch something is to avoid it.
If you are in Georgia, like me, you know that we are an open state. Like wide open and being able to manage yourself during your daily activities and events is important. Here are a few things that we have put in place to manage your COVID event.
First, understand what conditions have been put in place by the Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC), your state, city, and county. You also want to check the protocols that your venue has put in place. Once you know how ALLLLLL of those entities is positioned, you will know if you can have your event, the number of guests you can invite, or if you need to cancel or postpone your event.
Communicate with guests that you are planning to have your event and that you will practice social distancing standards.
Encourage guests that have recently traveled over the last 14 days or less, not to attend. Encourage guests who are 65+ also to stay home.
For guests who fit one of these descriptions, provide a zoom link so that they can enjoy the ceremony from the comfort and safety of their home.
For guests who will be attending your wedding celebration:
- Temperature checks at the door. Anyone that is around 99.5 degrees to 100.3degrees is considered to have a low-grade fever.
- All guests must have a mask when entering the venue. Many venues in the Atlanta area are requiring that all guests wear masks inside. This includes the vendors. Of course, there is the exception of when guests are eating and drinking. For this, you want to make sure that your venue allows space for guests to social distance. Your guests will want to freely enjoy the amazing food you have prepared for them!
- Provide washing stations and/or hand sanitizer for guests continuously throughout the day celebration. You can never wash your hands enough!
- Space out the ceremony chairs to implement social distancing standards. We tend to space chairs out in sets of 2 or 3. This allows couples and family members to sit together.
- Create a social distancing cocktail hour by spacing out cocktail tables.
- If cocktail hour is indoors if possible, open surrounding doors to encourage guests to venture outdoors.
- Reception dinner should also have 6 guests at a table or less. We only have more than 6 guests if they are all family or have been quarantined together.
Most of all...Hire an experienced planner!
There are a lot of additional steps to implement throughout the wedding day, but this has helped my team and event guests feel more comfortable.
The already detailed events of the day compounded by the COVID environment will require an experienced planner. This is not the place where you want to take your chances! As much as we love auntie Pattie who has planned all the family events… we are going to have to let her sit out on this one and enjoy the celebration!
Now, if you absolutely insist on having your wedding this year, make sure you take all the necessary steps to be safe and have a great time. Love is not canceled, but we also don't want to be reckless!
Be safe and happy!