To all our couples, we are truly saddened for you at this time. Rescheduling a wedding can be emotionally and financially draining. The NK Bride team is here for you during this tough time, and we want you to focus on how you can spin the situation to still celebrate the love you’ve found. From planning to precautions, spending some alone time with your soon-to-be-spouse may be the perfect chance to decide on what’s really important for you on your big day. Taking care of our loved ones is important, and having a happy healthy wedding is our priority.

wedding photos by my dear friend Kristen Walther

Our first proposal is to move your 2020 wedding to a small civil ceremony at the local city hall once things reopen and postpone your other plans for 2021. When I got married I personally had a small City-Hall wedding in NYC one year and then my big wedding celebration the summer after that in Europe. It might not seem ideal right now as summer is approaching and you were so close to the big day but in this new reality nothing will seem perfect. The only thing we can all do is stay positive. It’s a great compromise to still have something to look forward to in 2020 and also not give up completely on your dream wedding. For me, the best part of having the city hall ceremony was that by the time my big wedding rolled around the following summer I had been already married for a year and all the nerves were gone. Instead we were just super happy to celebrate with our friends and family and we had no stress at all. It was the best silver lining.

Still planning on having your original wedding this summer? Consider investing in wedding insurance. Although this may seem like an unnecessary cost, with the uncertainty of the longevity of the virus it maybe best for you to have a backup plan. Wedding insurance can help you feel more comfortable moving forward, as it can cover any unforeseen issues, as well as injuries and illnesses that may require postponing the event. This insurance will come in handy if any loved ones who must be at the event become ill, and the wedding must be moved back. If you have a honeymoon planned for later in the year, consider adding insurance to these trips as well, as it is unsure when domestic and international travel will become safe again.

When cancelling/postponing your event isn’t an option, couples are being encouraged to down size. Have healthy family and friends attend, and encourage those who must travel to attend to stay at home. Your guests don’t have to miss out though. We have amazing technology today that helps us overcome situations like this. If your family is big, or from out of town, don’t gather 50 plus people, but livestream the event for friends and family to see. This keeps the newlyweds, and the guests safe from infection. A livestream is also a great way to keep older relatives, or high-risk guests involved in the big day. Bonus, you’ll always have a home video of the day you married your best friend.

Shopping local is a good way to keep you and your guests safe. Choosing small vendors, and local food can help to eliminate the likelihood of a last minute cancelation. Small businesses can take extra precautions, and cater more to your events changing needs. By choosing small local vendors you’re not only taking precautions to protect your guests, but you are also supporting your community which may also be facing financial hardships due to the current climate.

We know of drink and desert stations, but be the first to have a sanitization station. As funny as it sounds, you and your guests will all appreciate it. If you’re still holding your event, keeping things sanitized is a must. Try and find a cleaning service that can do non-invasive work during the event. Wiping counters, cleaning bathrooms, and sanitizing doorknobs throughout the night can help make guests feel more safe and comfortable. Keep the MC safe too. Sanitizing the microphone between speeches will also help to prevent the spread of germs and disease.

Communicating with your vendors is more important than ever before. Knowing their upcoming plans, policies, and expectations for your event will help you to know if you need to make any requests, or changes to your day of plans. By keeping in close contact you can be comfortable knowing that you and your vendors are on the same page, and you will have a better understanding of how they plan to react to an unexpected changes.

Making healthy choices doesn’t have to look out of fashion. Having pre-plated meals can eliminate any germs spread through a buffet style dinner, and it makes guests feel like they’re receiving the best service. Having employees wear gloves may also sound unappealing, but white glove services can make your event seem classic and clean. This allows staff to keep their hands cleaner without sacrificing the aesthetics of your event.

Social distancing may seem impossible at a wedding, but there are steps you can take to avoid close quarters. With a downsized event you are likely to have more space in your venue. Take the next few days quarantined at home to revisit the seating chart. Fill tables with fewer people allowing more space between chairs. Guests will have a more comfortable space to sit in, and will be at a safer distance from one another. It is also advised to avoid handshakes and hugs. Although it may seem awkward at first, you can turn it into a game. Create and enforce a new greeting that relates to your wedding hashtag. Give guests bells to ring, or ribbons to wave at each other in replacement of a hug. It’ll be a memorable, and funny way to break the ice.