At-home Wedding Planning During COVID
Due to COVID gathering suggested limitations, some brides must decide between waiting for warmer weather to have a larger outdoor wedding or having a smaller intimate at-home wedding. Newlywed, Ruthie Williams, is one bride who refused to let the COVID news headlines derail her wedding plans. She graciously shared her experience with Detroit Wedding Day in hopes of being an inspiration to others.
Since this was her second time planning a wedding, her input was invaluable. She has the experience of planning a traditional church/venue wedding in addition to a social distance at-home wedding and reception.
When asked to give her input about the wedding planning process, she willingly shared helpful tips that could be used by those currently making plans for an at-home wedding.
Pros and Cons of an at-home wedding
We asked Ruthie what was positive or negative about her at-home wedding planning experience compared to having a venue or church wedding ceremony and reception.
“I found this experience to be very intimate. There was no stress involved in planning,” she responded.
Ruthie was fortunate to have a good wedding planning experience.
A 2018 survey of 500 couples conducted by Zola, revealed that 96% were stressed out over their wedding planning. The survey also reported that 40% considered wedding planning to be in the category level of “extremely stressful”. In some cases, 71% found wedding planning to be more stressful than some major life events, even looking for a job.
Of course, when planning any major event, there are undoubtedly some ripples to iron out.
Whatever the challenge, there is a solution waiting to be discovered if you simply carefully weigh your options and determine what is best for you and your spouse-to-be.
Ruthie continued, “having a very large family, friends and coworkers, unfortunately, everyone couldn’t attend due to COVID-19.”
Certainly, it is only natural for friends and family to desire to participate in your special day. However, over these many months of isolating at home while avoiding large group activities, it is becoming more common to watch live-streamed special moments on social media platforms.
Furthermore, knowing in advance that media streaming services will be used during the event, allows couples to send invitations to loved ones. By simply providing the date, time, and URL, loved ones can easily participate in the celebration.
When reflecting on what Ruthie would do differently if given the chance for a do-over, she said,
“Although we shared our day live via social media, I would have hired a videographer as well.”
Be Careful
One step that Ruthie had her hostesses take was to greet guests at the door while also checking their temperature using a temporal thermometer. Taking this step helped to assure that no guests with a fever entered the home. Greeting guests at the door also permitted hostesses to observe anyone who appeared sick before they had the chance to enter the home. Once screened to enter, the guests were escorted in to await the beginning of the wedding ceremony.
She advised, “If you’re having a wedding during COVID-19, most importantly stay safe. Require temperature checks, masks, and handwashing/sanitizing from your guests”.
Cost advantages or disadvantages of having an at-home wedding
When asked to discuss the cost differences between a traditional wedding reception and an at-home wedding, Ruthie shared there was a significant cost saving.
“There was definitely an advantage. We saved tremendously by not having a venue wedding”, she stated.
As a result of having the wedding at home, couples trying to stay within a budget now have an opportunity for their wedding to be scaled up or down with ease. An at-home wedding gives them a chance to create a comfortable casual gathering or a more formal intimate reception rich with décor and an expanded menu selection. In either case, not having additional expenses like minimum guest count requirements can be liberating for smart money managing couples.
Ruthie shared, “I definitely handled selecting my menu differently. Because my wedding was small and intimate, I chose not to have a large amount of food. I kept it small and simple with items I knew everyone would enjoy.”
One smart solution that Ruthie included was to use her kitchen island as the fruit and dessert display area. Her menu consisted of an assortment of sumptuous appetizers accompanied by a beautiful simple rustic designed wedding cake adorned with fruits and flowers.
During her wedding, Ruthie and her new husband shared a champagne toast with her guests. She indicated if other couples want to serve alcohol at their reception, they should consider using an attendant to pour beverages for guests. Using an attendant adds a touch of class to the reception while also managing inventory of your wines and spirits.
Easy Breezy
Ruthie found her at-home wedding planning process to be much easier in comparison to a venue ceremony and reception.
One benefit of having a wedding at home is that it gives you time to plan and stage the wedding without the added stress of being held to time constraints. The mere fact that you are at home affords you the luxury of decorating your home days, if not weeks before the wedding date.
Having an at-home wedding was so easy for Ruthie, that she decided to plan her wedding herself.
“I didn’t use a planner. A month before the wedding, my close friend (that’s not an actual planner but loves to organize events) helped me organize the event”, said Ruthie.
Let’s Go
When planned perfectly by hospitable newlyweds, wedding guests will most likely feel very welcomed and comfortable in your home during the wedding reception. That is a wonderful goal to aspire to achieve. That is until you are ready for the festivities to conclude, but your guests look like they are ready for the after-party.
Seriously, when having an at-home wedding, it is important to have a strategy how to tactfully let your guests know when it’s time for them to leave. After all, this is your home, and most likely the days leading up to your wedding day have been very busy. Wouldn’t you agree that it’s now time to spend some well-deserved quality time with your new spouse alone?
To keep the reception on schedule, Ruthie suggests making a general announcement to the guests.
“Make a general announcement about 30 minutes before the reception is over thanking everyone for attending and informing them that things will be wrapping up soon.”
Words of Advice when planning a wedding during COVID
We asked Ruthie to share her words of advice to couples who are planning a wedding during these days of COVID?
She responded, “It is your day! So, do what makes you honestly happy.”
She shared these final thoughts for couples who might be thinking of delaying their wedding plans.
“I wouldn’t recommend changing your date or waiting for COVID to be over to set your date. Unfortunately, if your family and friends are large like mine, they will just have to understand that they can’t be there physically to share your day.”
Final Thoughts
In closing, many couples have made the most of planning their intimate at-home wedding.
Ultimately, many couples have saved money and reduced many frustrating moments by simplifying the event. Even though your wedding may not be as large as you hoped it to be, don’t overlook hiring trusted professionals like photographers and videographers. After all, this is a milestone that you want to remember for many years to come.
