COVID-19 has impacted nearly every aspect of our lives, from the mundane like grocery shopping and working, to the once-in-a-lifetime like weddings. Our daily routines and long-term plans have been changed due to the global pandemic. If you had to adjust major life plans because of COVID-19, you are not alone.
Now with cases subsiding, vaccines becoming available, and restrictions lifting, many couples are ready to begin the wedding planning process again. Depending on how far along you and your partner were in the planning process when restrictions began, starting over or continuing planning will look very different.
As you plan your COVID-19 wedding, you want to be sure that your guests enjoy themselves with wedding entertainment. Budgets may have tightened and guest lists shrunken, but that doesn’t mean that your expectations should be lowered. Guests can still have a great time, even with fewer people and a smaller budget to celebrate with.
Newly Engaged Couples
Many couples found that they would have to delay potential wedding plans before they started planning a wedding. Couples may have also gotten engaged during COVID-19 restrictions and are now wondering if now is the time to begin planning their celebration of love. Planning a major event from scratch at the end of a global pandemic can seem overwhelming for many people.
While COVID-19 stopped major celebrations from happening, it doesn’t stop emotions. You should take the opportunity to remember how much you and your partner love each other and how excited the two of you are to start your lives together. The most important aspect of any wedding is knowing that this is just the first day of many together.
Once you remind each other of that, you can begin to plan what kind of wedding you want and how current restrictions that may exist will impact your plans. You can make a list of what is most important for the two of you to have at your wedding and go from there.
For many couples, having a way to entertain their guests is important. You and your partner won’t be around every guest all the time to make sure that they’re having a good time. With potentially limited guest lists, you want to provide ways for guests to have a good time and have fun after a global, life-changing event.
Wedding music is a great way to provide entertainment to wedding guests. Not only do guests anticipate having music at a wedding, but it also encourages people to dance. Even for non-dancers, having music playing can provide a conversation starter. Having wedding entertainment will also help your wedding be remembered for more than being a wedding during COVID-19.
Many couples planning a COVID-19 wedding want to keep things as normal as possible while still staying within the recommended guidelines. Having music through either a wedding DJ or wedding bands helps keep the party feeling normal while still sticking to guidelines. People can have a good time while still being safe.
Delayed Weddings
Many couples who had planned 2020 weddings had to cancel or push back their wedding. As the end of COVID-19 restrictions seem to be on the horizon, many couples are ready to see their long-awaited plans come to fruition. Especially if you had to delay or push back your wedding date more than once.
As you begin to adjust your plans for a late 2021 or 2022 wedding, you may have to adjust expectations as well. Even with restrictions lifting, you may be working with a tighter budget or a smaller guest list. This adds another layer of stress and complications to an already stressful and complicated time.
As couples begin to readjust their expectations for their wedding, they will want to know what they’re working with. Venues had to work with an unprecedented number of cancellations and delays during 2020 and you will want to double-check where your wedding stands when it comes to using a venue you had already booked.
You will also want to make the most of your wedding entertainment. While some aspects may still have to be scaled back to account for COVID-19 changes, you can still have a fun wedding with entertainment. Even scaled-back entertainment can be great for guests and couples alike to help have fun after a stressful time.
The entertainment that many couples and guests look forward to is wedding music. Guests want to celebrate by dancing and couples want to have the perfect first dance. Relieving stress by dancing is also important for many couples!
As you and your partner are going through the checklist of things that you want, you will want to contact who was going to provide the music and see what their options are. Some places may offer to reschedule and others may not. You can also take this opportunity to hire a different wedding DJ or different wedding bands that suit the needs of your new wedding.
Planning a wedding during COVID-19 is possible, even if you feel frustrated by the many times you have delayed your wedding. This creates the perfect chance for you to have a wedding that will really matter to you and your partner. By focusing on the important aspects, you can have a wedding that will mean a lot to you and your guests.
Conclusion
Planning a wedding is never easy, and that is even more true when planning a wedding during COVID-19. Unique challenges are presented to newly engaged couples who are just starting the planning process and couples who feel they should be married by now. You may feel that your once lofty wedding goals are now hindered by circumstances outside of your control.
When planning a COVID-19 wedding, it is important to remember what’s important. As we enter a new normal that we may not recognize, we are changing our lives to new priorities and limitations. As these changes impact wedding planning, it is a great opportunity to make your wedding as special as possible.
Blog Contributed by: Nils Mossblad
Kurt Titchenell
Guided by his experience as the bandleader of Philadelphia’s top band, Jellyroll, and President of BVTLive!, Kurt Titchenell has kept dance floors packed and created unforgettable memories for thousands of events nationwide! Widely acclaimed as an entertainment expert, Kurt and BVTLive! have earned the most prestigious accolades in the industry. Most notably were two Jellyroll performances at The White House. Kurt's dedication to the success of every event is evident through his passion for creating the ultimate party experience. As President of BVTLive!, Kurt is committed to making your event a success.