With so many wedding plans postponed, the question on everyone’s lips at the moment, understandably, is ‘what does coronavirus mean for our wedding?’ and ‘how will it impact weddings in both the short and long-term?’. As a wedding planner, we’re frequently being asked for our opinions on how we think things may pan out.
Of course with so much uncertainty for both couples and for wedding suppliers, there sadly are no concrete answers (much as we long for that crystal ball right now…). No-one knows for sure what’s going to happen or when, despite speculation being rife. But what’s clear is that there will be some form of both short and long-term impacts on weddings. Whilst the situation is continually evolving, we wanted to distil some of our thoughts on just some of the wedding trends that we think we may see in the coming weeks and months…
Marriage vs Wedding: Realigning Priorities
For those with weddings on the horizon, we’ve already seen an immediate impact from coronavirus in terms of the reconsideration of priorities. Some couples have deemed the actual act of marriage itself the most important thing to them and are happy to go ahead with their ceremony – even if it means it can only be them and a handful of witnesses present. For others, the whole idea of a wedding is to be surrounded by all of their friends and family, and an excuse to combine marriage with a showstopper party.
Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and there is no right or wrong answer; it is entirely dependent on each couple and their situation. However, this polarisation of priorities will see quite different approaches taken. Some couples are opting for smaller wedding ceremonies now followed by a larger party further down the line, whilst others are keen to postpone their entire wedding to wait for the day they always planned. Some are opting for a more simple affair, whilst others are going all-out with a luxury wedding with all of the bells and whistles.
With two very different approaches available, it is important that couples take a step back and discuss what the idea of ‘wedding’ means to them. During these times when emotions are running particularly high, communication is more important than ever to help navigate these tricky times and find the best solution for you.
Flexibility
With many having to postpone their wedding plans, we’ve already noticed a significant increase in people choosing to buck the wedding trends and shun the peak days and months.
Whether it’s opting for a winter wedding or going midweek, we’re seeing a big shake-up in the traditional peak periods for weddings across the next year. With 2021 set to be an incredibly busy year, many couples are seemingly happy to opt for a day or month they wouldn’t perhaps ordinarily have chosen in order to work around supplier availability and get the wedding they want. Whilst for others, the pandemic has brought about a realisation of the priorities and the recognition that their wedding is about who is there, not when it is.
A Rise in Intimate Weddings
Intimate weddings and elopements were already on a slow and steady rise in recent years but with current restrictions on mass gatherings, this is a wedding trend we expect to see accelerate. The definition of ‘large wedding’ is likely to be temporarily redefined, and a celebration of say 20-50 guests which previously would’ve been deemed by most as a small wedding are likely to now be deemed ‘large’ by government guidelines. Restrictions in numbers will have an even greater impact on Jewish and Asian weddings, the latter of which commonly sees guest numbers of 400-500.
For those wanting to get married imminently, we expect to see couples whittling down their guest list (which can of course inherently come with its own set of politics) to include only their most immediate family members or friends.
Many of those opting to hold a smaller wedding now are also planning a secondary wedding celebration – a large party further down the line to celebrate in style with their wider loved ones.
Getting Creative
Whilst this pandemic has posed many challenges for couples (and wedding planners!) alike, it’s also been a great opportunity to get creative and think outside the box. As well as revisiting their priorities, we’ve seen so many great examples of couples redefining the entire concept of a wedding, challenging all conventions and throwing the wedding rulebook out of the window.
As a modern wedding planner, we always like to encourage our couples to think big anyway and approach their wedding from a blank canvas, but now more than ever is the time to say goodbye to tradition and go for what you really want. Through adversity comes opportunity… and we can’t wait to help our couples come up with new and innovative ways to plan their wedding.
Outdoor Weddings & Marquee Weddings
Whilst many wedding venues are putting in place social distancing measures, we expect to see more and more couples look to hold their celebrations outside. Whilst some will opt to utilise the grounds and gardens at venues, we expect to also see a rise in the number of couples looking to plan a marquee wedding at home or on private land.
Planning an outdoor wedding or marquee wedding can come with its own set of complexities so it’s important to build in plenty of contingency plans – even if you’re planning a summer wedding in July or August, there’s a risk the weather may not play ball so the likes of a stretch tent to provide coverage for guests can help to provide cover in the event of rain, or much-needed shade if it’s a hot day.
What we would *really* love to see is a relaxation in the laws around where marriages can legally take place… So we’ll be keeping everything crossed that the one benefit arising from this situation is an opening up of the rules!
Live-Stream Weddings
With Zoom weddings already hitting the headlines there have been big questions over the role of tech in weddings. Whilst we personally think there’s no substitute for a face-to-face celebration surrounded by a real-life gathering of your friends and family, for some, live-streaming their wedding will enable couples to go ahead with their plans {this example from Elaine Welteroth’s wedding was the perfect example of including guests virtually and proved that you can still have a beautiful day, mid-pandemic or not}.
We’ve also seen a huge number of pre-wedding celebrations being taken online with virtual hen and stag parties, allowing brides and grooms-to-be the chance to celebrate with friends.
Whilst we do hope that the virtual wedding trend is short-lived (weddings, after all, are about the hugs, kisses and crazy dancing), for some the likes of Zoom offer a perfect platform to allow celebrations to go ahead – even if in a different guise to what couples may have originally planned. Whether for those with family overseas, elderly or vulnerable guests, or for couples who’ve had to reduce their guests list but are still wanting to include their loved ones, tech platforms can offer a useful interim solution to ensure all of your friends and family can still be involved.
Staycations: UK Honeymoon and Mini-moons
As a wedding and honeymoon planner, we’ve also seen the fallout from COVID-19 in the travel industry. With travel restrictions currently in place across much of the world, a number of honeymoon plans are sadly being put on hold.
As a result, for those marrying in the months ahead we expect to see an increase in the number of couples opting for UK honeymoons and mini-moons.
Whether a clifftop hideaway overlooking the rugged beaches of Cornwall, a cosy cabin nestled in the Lake District, a road trip round the Scottish Highlands or a luxurious spa hotel in the Cotswolds countryside, there are so many options within the UK for a beautiful mini-moon or honeymoon to escape to after your wedding and celebrate newly-married life.
We expect to see much larger numbers of couples opting to kickstart married life with a honeymoon break within the UK, before planning a longer honeymoon trip to some far-flung destination further down the line once restrictions have lifted – perhaps combining with first anniversary celebrations? (in our opinion, there’s no better ‘paper’ gift to celebrate a first anniversary than a plane ticket, right?!)
Normality Will Resume – And Love Will Always Win
The shape of weddings over the next few months is likely to change – it has to. But change doesn’t always need to be a bad thing. Whilst a lot of plans have been dashed, we hope that positive change can come about too – whether creative new ideas in place of sticking to tradition, more flexibility in terms of where people can marry, and an ever-greater appreciation of the hugs, the kisses, the dancing and the overwhelming love and joy that comes from a wedding day.
Whilst there might be a turbulent few months ahead for the wedding industry, one thing we do know for sure is that those weddings affected by coronavirus will so be worth the wait when they do come round, and that we will all be in need of a celebration with our loved ones now more than ever. Love will always win.
What do you think will happen to weddings in the coming months? Pop your comments below. Or, if coronavirus has impacted your wedding or honeymoon plans and you have any questions, you can pop me a message here for any help or a chat.
Rachel x