Love Beats Covid: How to Plan a Wedding During COVID-19

Wedding

Aug 15

If you’re tired of Covid disrupting your life, believe me, you’re not alone! Around the nation, thousands of people have been forced to cancel or reschedule important events due to waves of restrictions impacting businesses.

We’ve all learned a lot during this unprecedented pandemic that turned our world upside down. Armed with that knowledge, there’s no reason to let the pandemic keep throwing a wrench in your plans - especially your wedding plans!

The key to having a safe wedding is finding the right “COVID conscious” venue. We at D’Vine Grace take great pride in offering such a safe place for you to hold your special day! But there are a few other things to consider, so we’ve put together a brief overview to help you plan a wedding during Covid-19. Let’s dive in!

How Covid Changed Wedding Events

Getting married is such a major event in a person's life that very few things should ever stand in the way. Alas, a global pandemic happened to be one of those few things! Covid really threw the wedding industry into turmoil as couples, venues and vendors grappled with limited options. Some loving couples made the hard choice to postpone or even cancel their big event, but we don’t see that as necessary any longer. A few easy adjustments can enable you to have the wedding of your dreams without delay!

Online Consultations and Virtual Tours

Covid cases may be going down, but it hasn’t vanished off the face of the Earth. That’s why we continue to take precautions from the beginning of your conversations with us. Wedding planning requires plenty of meetings, but Covid has changed how we get together. At D’Vine Grace, our online virtual meetings on Zoom and Google Hangout help everyone stay as safe as possible!

We also invite couples to check out our Virtual Tour, which does an amazing job of showcasing our sprawling, luxurious venue. Combined with photos and visual layouts, our hosting staff can easily work with planners from a distance, if requested.

Outdoor Weddings and Social Distancing

Social distancing is still encouraged, and it has prompted many couples to reevaluate their guest lists. Deciding who to cut is a tough chore, especially if you’ve already sent out invitations!

The easiest way to avoid limiting your number of guests is to find a venue with plenty of interior and outdoor spaces to allow for a safe gathering. Venues with large areas where guests can comfortably spread out are ideal. In fact, D’Vine Grace happens to be exactly such a venue! With our spacious venue and outdoor options, we have the capacity to handle virtually any size of guests, even with social distancing requirements taken into consideration.

Adjusting Your Wedding Format

Besides spreading out, another way to help ensure guest safety is by reformatting certain elements of your wedding event. For example, some couples opt to skip or shorten their reception. Others decide to cut out the dancing portion if they had one planned.

At D’Vine Grace, you have full reign over your wedding format. Our staff works closely with you to review your event plans and help you replace any traditional steps with simpler alternatives, if you select to do so.Re-Evaluating Your Options

If you plan on pushing through with your wedding, don't worry! We're here to help. Here are some tips on how to plan your wedding during the pandemic.

Guest Screening and Contact PolicyBefore your event, decide whether or not you want to add some simple health screening. This doesn’t have to be anything intrusive. Many events feature a check-in host who offers a no-contact temperature check at the point of entry.

Naturally, people have a right to privacy when it comes to health screening. If you desire to implement a screening procedure at the door, our D’Vine Grace staff can answer questions and offer advice on setting things up and making a plan for what to do if a guest arrives with a high temperature.

Some couples request that guests follow a basic “limited contact” policy to reduce hugs and replace handshakes with fist bumps. It may go without saying, but we also advise asking guests to follow mask guidelines. Laying a few easy ground rules upfront can decrease exposure while ensuring maximum good times.

In our experience, it’s best to let guests know in advance of your desired safety protocols. That way they know what to expect and can plan ahead with no surprises.

Rescheduling and Cancellations

In the unfortunate event of someone in the wedding party becoming sick prior to the scheduled day, you’ll want to know about cancellation and rescheduling policies. Here are a few important questions to ask your venue:

Do you charge if I have to reschedule because of Covid?
Can I move my date to next year?
If I move it, can I keep it on the same day of the week?
What if I have to cancel my wedding because of Covid?

At D’Vine Grace, we know things come up that are beyond your control, so we do our best to stay as flexible as possible. You’ve got our guarantee that we’ll treat you like family!

Pro Tip: Unless it’s one of the main wedding party members, we suggest sticking with your original date versus postponing. The future is unpredictable, so finding a safe venue and holding your reservation is your best bet!

A D’Vine Virtual Wedding

At times, a virtual (or partially virtual) wedding can be a suitable option. This allows your complete guest list to participate without leaving the comfort of their homes. D’Vine Grace offers full technical support to include wedding email or QR code invitations for guests to connect to your wedding via live stream.

Our experienced staff is full of creative tips and ideas about virtual wedding options, including how to create the ultimate wedding playlist and ways to optimize your in-frame video streaming environment so online guests can get the best view possible!

Pro Tip: For a fully virtual wedding, we suggest sending out care packages to add a sense of connection, since you won’t be able to host a meal.

At D’Vine Grace, You Have Options

It’s important to us that your event be everything you ever dreamed of and more! That’s why our highly-trained expert staff go the extra mile every step of the way.

When helping you plan your wedding during the Pandemic, we take every precaution to ensure guest safety, including rolling silverware, setting out hand sanitizing stations, and working with you in advance on all of the above special arrangement options