As COVID-19 lockdown is lifted, couples that had to postpone or cancel their nuptials can start to look forward to finally being able to tie the knot. But before the personalized wedding invitations are sent in the post, many brides and grooms-to-be are considering altering and tweaking their wedding plans.
The global pandemic has caused weddings to be dramatically downsized, in order to take on board precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Couples are trading in their dream wedding that comes with an extensive guest list, for an intimate and private affair or a luxurious destination wedding that has elopement vibes.
The wedding industry is currently bracing itself for the new emerging trends. The estimated 84% of weddings that had to be postponed in 2020, and at the start of 2021, can now be organized with social distancing precautions in place. Although mass gatherings are no longer the norm, celebrating your post-pandemic wedding with family and friends in open-air or outdoor locations by renting a Pop-Up luxury wedding tent is a viable option. If your VIP guests are skeptical about attending, you can embrace the latest trends and book a destination wedding that is intimate and private or downsize to micro, mini or multi-wedding.
Destination Weddings
Destination weddings offer a great socializing solution post-lockdown. As most weddings in far-flung locations take place on a beautiful sun-kissed beach, or large outdoor or open-air spaces, guests can comfortably maintain social distance while celebrating their special day.
You’ll obviously need to write and send your wedding invitations in good time, to give your guests sufficient notice. It’s good etiquette to let guests know of your destination wedding plans 3-4 months in advance.
Intimate Micro Weddings
If the idea of getting hitched this year appeals to you and your future spouse, you may want to follow the micro wedding trend. This is a smaller, more intimate, and private event that can be held in the location of your choice.
You can invite select family and friends to join you and your beloved in a luxury villa that has multiple guest rooms and spectacular views, on a private island, or in exotic destinations all over the world. Alternatively, your intimate micro wedding can take place closer to home, and feature luxuries like gourmet food, gorgeous designer décor, and a relaxing ambiance.
Smaller weddings and events allow you to pay attention to the finer details and can save you money on the overall cost of getting married en masse.
Minimonies
If you’ve had to delay your wedding day and no longer want to wait to say “I do”, you can modify your original plans and organize a ‘minion.
Instead of sending wedding invitations to everyone on a never-ending guest list, you can exchange wedding vows with your partner and a handful of socially distanced VIP guests. The remainder of your guests can be invited to join you virtually.
The minimum offers the best low-key option for couples that had originally planned to tie the knot during week-long wedding celebrations. Minimonies allow you to reschedule a larger celebration (with everyone invited) at a later date. Guests who live some distance away, or who prefer to maintain precautions, may prefer to view the romantic wedding ceremony on a screen from the comfort of their home.
Multi Weddings
If you’re not prepared to compromise on the number of guests that you invite to celebrate your special day, you can always choose the latest trend of multi-wedding as your preferred option.
Multi weddings involve two or more ceremonies on the same day so that you can invite all of your guests to attend in shifts. During the first ceremony, early in the day, you can invite family and older guests to join you for brunch or lunch. The second ceremony takes place later in the day and is ideal for friends that you want to party with.
Virtual Weddings
Zoom weddings hosted on Instagram have become a popular trend with couples wishing to get hitched without any further delay, post-lockdown. Virtual attendance has officially become an integral part of the wedding ceremony after the COVID-19 era.
Couples that are keen to get spliced on social media can easily incorporate a ‘Live’ feature and appropriate hashtags, to ensure that everyone on an extensive guest list can join in with the fun and celebrations.
The virtual wedding is a great flexible option that allows couples to plan their big day in a way that suits everyone. As travel restrictions may continue to persist for some time yet, you don’t have to postpone your previously cancelled event if your guests have access to a computer.
Virtual weddings are the ideal solution for guests that remain a little apprehensive about socialising post-lockdown. Elderly relatives and family and friends that live some distance away, or abroad, can celebrate one of the most important days in your life simply by plugging into a digital device.
It’s highly likely that remote online streaming and remote viewing will be a big wedding trend for the foreseeable future. It’s estimated that as many as two-thirds of post-lockdown weddings will have at least some guests attending virtually.
A virtual wedding gives you and your partner an opportunity to enjoy a unique wedding experience that is both intimate and well attended. And as you no longer need to physically invite all of the people that are on your guest list, you won’t need to write and mail quite so many wedding invitations.
