There was a time when intimate weddings were just one of the many choices brides could choose from, now it is the only choice. Instead of fighting against it how about we try to embrace it?
What is Happening to My Dream Wedding?
First, let’s first talk about wedding sizes; elopement wedding is just the two of you and your witnesses, small weddings are under 50 people, medium wedding are between 50 and 150 people and large wedding is over 150 people. In any given year, those would be your choices. The average wedding according to Knot in 2019 was 131 guests. Most brides that we talked to at the Wonderful Wedding Show in Winnipeg, were planning medium to large weddings. Now with new health regulations the number of guests can range from 5 people to 100 people (depending on the geographic location and the date of your wedding). That really puts a damper on wedding planning for so many couples. In many wedding groups, I have seen brides cry out for help because they planned and had to replan their weddings again and again. Maybe the new date is a year apart from their original plan, they may have changed their venue, theme, dress. It is just financially and emotionally exhausting. If this describes your situation, please step back for a couple of days from wedding planning. Spend some time reconnecting with your fiance. Go on dates, walks, watch a movie or just have a good chat over coffee or wine with him or her. Get reminded about what brought you to today after all.
In the peak of our wedding planning, a month before the wedding, Chris and I got so overwhelmed, we were standing in the mud room of the castle and Chris said that he said that he would marry me right there. Frankly, at that point I was ready to elope too. We had a little weekend getaway before the wedding, courtesy of my wise mother in law. After a break, refreshed we tackled the wedding preparations and got married in front of our friends and family at Bella’s Castle. If we could pull ourselves together, you can too.
Secret to Planning Successful Covid Wedding
This Summer, we have met and experienced very resourceful brides who planned or replanned their wedding within a week or two and they turned out just perfect. The secret to having a great Covid wedding is to be flexible, there are things that are out of our control, like the maximum number of guests or rules about dancing. We just have to accept them and go with the flow. In the end, you are marrying the love of your life with the closest family and friends around you. We had a few grooms who told us, that their guest number will be whatever is allowed at the time; if its 10 then then will have 10, if its 50 then they they will have 50 people. Often times, that's exactly the couples they operated, they invited the right number of people to fit the regulations.
There are alternative ways to "expand" your guest list or wedding experience. We have seen couples stream their wedding to their overseas guests or shooting a wedding video to share with their family and friends, some couples have arranged drive-by for congrats, some couples instead of a wedding day created a wedding weekend for the closest 10 people in their lives. If you are planning or replanning your wedding, we are suggesting that you send the invitations to the family and friends that you can’t go without first. To the rest of the guests, you can send a save the date card. Depending on the regulations you can choose to invite them by livestream or if regulations relax then you can invite them to the actual wedding closer to the date. It is way easier to invite than un-invite your guests (however with the current situation anyone would be understanding). There is beauty in smaller intimate weddings, we just have to learn to see them. On the big day or a small wedding under 50, you will be more relaxed, you can connect with your guests better and your bank account will be happier leaving you with more funds for honeymoon, new house or that grand party for your anniversary. Florals by Floral Scents Make up and Hair by Fringe Salon
Photo by Lynette Giesbrecht