2020 certainly doesn’t feel like the year that many of us planned. Some of us have lost loved ones, others our jobs or financial security. Others have had to put celebrations on hold- parties, milestones, graduations, weddings. What was normal just a few short months ago almost feels like a figment of our imaginations. Was there ever a time where you could cosy up with, or socialise alongside people who weren’t from your household? Or a time where you could pop to the shops and be in and out in 5 minutes without needing to queue to get in? For thousands of couples, perhaps the saddest thing has been having to make the heartbreaking decision to push their wedding back. Some chose to move their spring weddings to later in the year, others moved to next season instead. An optimistic few have held out so far and anyone with a wedding still booked for 2020 is probably asking themselves “will I need to downsize my wedding due to covid-19?”
Will I need to downsize my wedding due to covid-19?
The honest answer to this is that sadly at this point in time we still don’t know. There is constant talk in wedding groups and “behind the scenes” that weddings may be allowed to take place again in some form from July 2020. But the “in some form” part is the really crucial bit. IF weddings are allowed to commence again come July, and that’s a big IF considering that’s only a couple of weeks away, then the chances are that there will be strict restrictions on numbers. Social distancing is likely to still apply. Consider that pre lockdown events were limited to only 5 or 10 guests. So the idea of excited embraces and outpourings of love and congratulations from friends and family is unfortunately something we’re unlikely to see for a while.
This isn’t exactly what many couples had in mind when they planned their dream wedding. But for those hoping to just be married (for the time being at least) a slight relaxation of the current rules may provide some relief.
What about after July?
As time goes by there may be an increase to the permitted numbers for celebrations, but again, there has been no official word on this. Any talk of dates and timeframes or numbers is currently little more than guesswork and speculation. Within the wedding industry, although many of us are hopeful that things will soon be back on track, realistically, most of us are now preparing ourselves and our businesses for the fact that weddings as we know them will not take place in 2020. This is in part due to the fact that there have been no meaningful updates in a while. And secondly because things don’t seem to be progressing very quickly in other areas. However, bear in mind that no one knows at the moment.
In the event that numbers greater than 5-10 guests are permitted towards the end of the year, couples still need to prepare themselves for the fact that there are still likely to be strict rules in place. Such as outdoor only celebrations or a greatly reduced numbers perhaps. For the couples still hanging on to their dream of getting married in 2020, this poses quite a dilemma. Do they continue with a smaller guest-list than planned or push the wedding back?
What are my options if i’m getting married in 2020?
Our best advice at the moment would be to hope for the best, whilst planning for the worst. They’re not conversations anyone wants to have and they wont be easy. There may even be some things you don’t agree on. But it’s best to have these conversations now rather than potentially having to make a rushed decision later on. If you had to dramatically slash your numbers for example, would you proceed, or would you prefer to push the wedding back? If you’re prepared to push the wedding back, what is your venue and suppliers availability like for 2021 or 2022? Would you consider a weekday wedding or otherwise “off peak” date in order to accommodate your plans? Never be afraid of speaking with your suppliers. Any decent supplier understands the difficult position you’re in and will bend over backwards to be accommodating and forthcoming with alternative dates if needed.
If you’re still asking yourselves “will I need to downsize my wedding due to covid-19?” then the honest answer is, we don’t know yet. But it is likely that there will be some changes, rules or restrictions still in place for most, if not all of 2020.
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