While most of the wedding talk we’ve heard over the last few weeks has centred around helping the unfortunate couples who’ve had to postpone; amidst all this disappointment, new couples are still, excitedly (if somewhat hesitantly) planning their weddings. Your confidence might be shaken and indeed you may be questioning your partner choice, having been in quarters far too close for comfort (that’s a joke, of course, we’re all madly in love with each others’ Work From Home looks), but as the shock subsides and we begin to adjust, there are many ways in which confinement proves perfect for wedding planning.

1. If you’re child-free, there’s all that spare time to fill.

2. Planning something positive, a glorious gathering WITH OTHER PEOPLE, will work wonders for your mental state. It’s escapism that’s actually productive and sharing your plans with your family and friends will be (the good kind of) infectious.

3. Providing your employment hasn’t been affected, you might find you’re saving quite a bit of cash (which might otherwise have been spent on clothes, evenings out, not being the Bearded Lady, etc); this might be used to up your wedding game, significantly.

4. Wedding suppliers are eagerly awaiting your call - get ready for great customer service (especially from this particularly lovely wedding planner).

5. By making supplier commitments now, you’ll contribute to keeping your local wedding industry alive; good for your wedding and good for the economy.

So, if you’re about to plan a wedding for the post-Corona world, is it business as usual? By and large, yes. I mean, a lockdown is a lockdown and should we find ourselves in this situation, again, next year, no amount of clever planning will make your wedding go ahead (nor am I suggesting it should). Furthermore, once this is over, I would very much hope that normal life will resume; we’ll celebrate our freedom, our families and our communities… and do so with gusto. By no means am I suggesting that we spend the rest of our lives in fear of another pandemic, but it’s foolish not to learn from our experiences and there are some considerations which might if not Corona-proof your wedding, at least make it Corona-resistant… up to a point. For one thing, what’s likely to happen post-lockdown, this year, is that we’ll see a gradual return to full scale events, perhaps with a numbers cap, as we saw in the early days, so…

Perhaps a small guestlist could be beautiful

Now, if you’re in the market for a 300-guest wedding, this doesn’t apply, but for those couples who perhaps feel most comfortable with an intimate to medium-sized wedding but are under pressure to invite the long-lost cousins or your Mum’s bridge partner, professional direction to keep your guestlist under 100 could be the perfect excuse to do things your way. It might be the difference between your wedding going ahead during a time of restrictions (but not lockdown), or having to cancel it for the sake of a few not-so-vital guests you could have left off the list, to begin with.

Stay Close to Home

The destination wedding has always had an especial lure for couples hoping for a laid back event. The combination of great weather, al fresco dining and the je ne sais quoi of relaxed-dome held by those on the continent, seemed to outbid the options here in Ireland, sending many couples to Provence or Tuscany in search of amber sunsets and olive grove dining. But the reality of what’s happened this spring might discourage you from putting your all wedding eggs in an overseas basket, and I encourage you not to feel hard-done-by in this realisation. Firstly, we know how important it is to shop local, if we want to kick-start the local economy. Booking your wedding in Ireland places confidence not just in a local venue, but in up to twenty other event suppliers; then each of these twenty bookings will have knock-on effects on other industries. So, your booking really matters! Secondly, even disregarding this, there’s no reason why your Irish wedding shouldn’t be every bit as beautiful and relaxed as the one you would’ve had on the continent; I think it’s a major misconception that Ireland is in any way inferior to the good weather wedding destinations. We win out, in many ways. Good suppliers will know how to achieve this for you in the right venue, so be open about your pre-Corona aspirations from the start and be prepared to be pleased.

An Outdoor Ceremony is Always a Winner

Viral droplets, or not, taking advantage of the great outdoors for your ceremonial bits is always top of my advice list. If the sun shines, it’s glorious, and even if it doesn’t, starting your event in the fresh air will work wonders for your guests’ mood and attention span, while you say your vows. In Ireland, especially, having a rain option is always a good plan and booking a simple canvas pole tent with open sides is less pricey than you’d think. In anything other than high summer, I advise lining seats with sheepskins and providing cosy lap blankets (if you’re edging into Autumn, right through Winter, hot water bottles are delightful and how about replacing that glass of welcome bubbles with a tankard of warm cider?). Finally, always note an outdoor ceremony on your invite, so guests can be prepared with coats or flat shoes, if necessary.

Consider a New Kind of Amenity Basket

We’re used to seeing baskets of sunscreen and dancing pumps in wedding restrooms, but perhaps shaking up the format, somewhat could be worthwhile; not so much to meet with restrictions, but rather to show consideration for guests who might be feeling anxious, following the Corona experience. Could monogrammed mini hand sanitiser bottles be the new favour of choice? Many couples already provide hankies for happy tears, but maybe they’ll serve a more practical sneezy-purpose from now on. On the topic of consideration, whatever measures you do decide to take, be sure to note these on your invite or wedding website, especially if you’re sending these out shortly after lockdown has ended.

Be Weekday Flexible

With so many postponed 2020 weddings to reschedule (in reality, we’re looking at 4-5 months worth), you’ll find that the latter part of 2020 and a lot of 2021 will fill up much more quickly than usual, firstly for venues, but for all the other event suppliers, too. So, if you want to bag all your first choices, as well as your preferred time of year, being open to a midweek wedding date could be your golden ticket. Given the strangeness of these times, the usual rules simply don’t apply and your guests will certainly understand if you’ve had to become a little creative with the calendar.

There’s no time like Right Now

Just because there are no events happening, that doesn’t mean events people aren’t working. Take advantage of this time when suppliers are permanently at their desks and when you and your partner are at home, to plan Zoom meetings together (usually, this schedule co-ordination can prove tricky). While hotel venues are closed, most of their in-house events managers are working away from home (I’ve had chats with plenty over the last few weeks), to help you get the ball rolling. If an exclusive hire manor house is more your bag, keep in mind that these are usually owner-run (with the owners living on site), so they should be able to give you a video walkthrough, answering any questions you might have, in real time.

Above all, I urge you not to be frightened to plan your wedding. What I really want is for you to feel so confident that you’ll completely ignore everything Ive suggested above. Remember that the worst happened, this spring, for many couples and they got through it. Their dates have been rescheduled, they haven’t lost any money and every supplier I have encountered has been beyond committed to giving their postponing couples an even better wedding than they would’ve had originally. We’ve got you.

Kate x

P.S. If you’d like to arrange a chat with me, to see how I could help make your wedding happen, please pop me a mail.

PHOTO CREDITS

1 . Bettina Looney . 2 . Rebecca Arthurs . 3 . Erich McVey . 4. Colin Miller 5, 6 & 7. Lucy Birkhead