Tiny Weddings in Big Times

Elaine Welteroth & Jonathon Singletary, Brayden Boyd & Michelle Fonseca, and Lindsay Crames & Waldo Saville don’t know each other and probably never will know each other.   But the couples all have something very special in common. They all got married during the COVID-19 pandemic in what Shannon Kennedy of Kennedy Events has dubbed “petite weddings”.  “Petite weddings are fully stylized weddings on a smaller scale that include only a handful of invited guests, typically four up to 20 people,” says Kennedy.

This pandemic has had an inordinate impact on almost everything in our lives.  Weddings have been no exception.  And if you’re one of those people destined to be married this year, you have one very basic question to answer.  Get married when you planned OR postpone until next year.  Some people, of course, have opted to hold off their celebrations until they are able to have the wedding of their dreams.  But others may have a very ill family member they want at their wedding.  Perhaps financial circumstances makes it difficult to postpone a wedding.  Or maybe they’ve had a long engagement and just really, really want to get married now.  Whatever the reason, some couples have decided to go ahead with their wedding ceremonies.

If you’re going ahead with your wedding planning for a ceremony during a pandemic, what extra things should be on your wedding planning checklist?

1. Location! Location! Location!

Welteroth and Singletary opted to marry on the front step of their Brooklyn abode.  Boyd and Fonseca hired a helicopter and got married at the top of Mount Cokely.  Crames and Saville were able to wed at city hall.  The location doesn’t really matter, as long as it’s meaningful to you and provides space for social distancing.

2. Marriage License

Once the pandemic hit, many court offices closed down.  Although it is not impossible to get a license, check with your local city or county to see the details about obtaining a permit in your community.

3. Officiant

Perhaps you have a pastor who is prepared to come to your venue and perform your wedding ceremony in a social-distancing way, but if you don’t, all is not lost.  Some states, including California, are allowing couples to wed legally through videoconferencing with an officiant.

4. Guests

The number of people who can be together vary from area to area.  But the fact is, it is not likely you will be able to gather your 100 closest friends and family members.  Decide who you want at your event and then arrange for your ceremony to be live streamed to everyone else.

 

Weddings can be postponed, but if you really want to get married now, there are beautiful ways to do it.

While the Institute of Wedding & Event Design (IWED) is not offering in-person classes at the time, you can check out our online classes at https://iwedglobal.com.  

What tips do you have for getting married during the pandemic?  Post a comment.  We’d love to hear from you.

Tiny Weddings in Big Times

Elaine Welteroth & Jonathon Singletary, Brayden Boyd & Michelle Fonseca, and Lindsay Crames & Waldo Saville don’t know each other and probably never will know each other.   But the couples all have something very special in common. They all got married during the COVID-19 pandemic in what Shannon Kennedy of Kennedy Events has dubbed “petite weddings”.  “Petite weddings are fully stylized weddings on a smaller scale that include only a handful of invited guests, typically four up to 20 people,” says Kennedy.

This pandemic has had an inordinate impact on almost everything in our lives.  Weddings have been no exception.  And if you’re one of those people destined to be married this year, you have one very basic question to answer.  Get married when you planned OR postpone until next year.  Some people, of course, have opted to hold off their celebrations until they are able to have the wedding of their dreams.  But others may have a very ill family member they want at their wedding.  Perhaps financial circumstances makes it difficult to postpone a wedding.  Or maybe they’ve had a long engagement and just really, really want to get married now.  Whatever the reason, some couples have decided to go ahead with their wedding ceremonies.

If you’re going ahead with your wedding planning for a ceremony during a pandemic, what extra things should be on your wedding planning checklist?

1. Location! Location! Location!

Welteroth and Singletary opted to marry on the front step of their Brooklyn abode.  Boyd and Fonseca hired a helicopter and got married at the top of Mount Cokely.  Crames and Saville were able to wed at city hall.  The location doesn’t really matter, as long as it’s meaningful to you and provides space for social distancing.

2. Marriage License

Once the pandemic hit, many court offices closed down.  Although it is not impossible to get a license, check with your local city or county to see the details about obtaining a permit in your community.

3. Officiant

Perhaps you have a pastor who is prepared to come to your venue and perform your wedding ceremony in a social-distancing way, but if you don’t, all is not lost.  Some states, including California, are allowing couples to wed legally through videoconferencing with an officiant.

4. Guests

The number of people who can be together vary from area to area.  But the fact is, it is not likely you will be able to gather your 100 closest friends and family members.  Decide who you want at your event and then arrange for your ceremony to be live streamed to everyone else.

 

Weddings can be postponed, but if you really want to get married now, there are beautiful ways to do it.

While the Institute of Wedding & Event Design (IWED) is not offering in-person classes at the time, you can check out our online classes at https://iwedglobal.com.  

What tips do you have for getting married during the pandemic?  Post a comment.  We’d love to hear from you.

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