Wedding Planning During a Pandemic

I am about as classically southern as it comes when wedding planning is involved. I was that little girl playing “wedding” in the backyard, and the bigger the bridal party to better the party.

My wedding Pinterest board is private to avoid the threat of anyone stealing “my great ideas”. I know the latest and greatest wedding trends, and when I got engaged I had already been scoping out venues for probably 3 months…I know I’m awful.

I had a plan. I had a vision. I knew what I was going to do, and I hit the ground running.

And then the pandemic hit.

I literally signed my venue and photographer contracts days before quarantine, I had made my bridal appointments, and I was talking to caterers. Then, everything came to a screeching halt. I literally didn’t know what to do.

Should I still put a deposit on a caterer without a tasting?

Should I sign the contract for my wedding planner?

How do I go dress shopping without going to a store?

All of these questions, and more, literally flooded through my mind and brought me to tears. I was already struggling with how to bring my vision to life, and honestly, the last thing I needed on my wedding planning journey was a stop sign.

A lot of people, I’m sure, have continued to plan and place deposits, and honestly that’s the best thing you can do for your vendors, however, with the economy in question I didn’t think it was smart to start dropping thousands of dollars for an event I wasn’t sure would be happening.

Granted, my wedding is not until March 2021, but honestly, we don’t have a clue how all of this will play out, and we definitely didn’t when this was starting two months ago.

I felt so defeated. I felt let down. I felt crushed.

I literally looked at my fiancé and told him this must be a sign from God that we are supposed to elope. It hurt my heart so much to even say it. I almost cried as the words left my mouth. Would the wedding I had dreamed of since I was a little girl never have the chance to happen?

After so much heartbreak, so many messy relationships, would I no longer be able to marry my Prince Charming for all of the world to see?

I wasn’t sure, and it killed me.

I know that an elopement or a small family ceremony can be absolutely beautiful, and is a dream for so many, but it’s just not me, and that’s okay. It’s okay that it isn’t my dream, and it’s okay to be upset.

It’s not okay to wallow in self-pitty and do nothing.

So, I put my big girl panties on (mine are underBares and they are legit) and I got to work.

I began searching the internet for how other people were navigating their plans with the current state of the world.

I reached out to vendors I wanted, and I asked them how they were planning to move forward.

I kept moving.

I have learned through this research that many vendors are adding pandemic specific wording to their contracts, allowing for a change in numbers closer to the wedding date than normal, and also trying to do as much via Skype or Zoom as possible.

These vendors need business to survive, and they are working so hard to make this as easy on their brides and grooms as possible.

I’m still sad that my perfect wedding may not be with the 200 people I envisioned, but I know that my day will be perfect because I am marrying the perfect man for me.

This is a new journey for everyone in almost every part of the world. I don’t believe it will be our new normal forever, but I do believe there are certain things we will deal with that we haven’t before. We just have to learn how to navigate these waters the same way we learn how to navigate unbalanced bridal party numbers or the guests your grandmother thinks “need” to be invited.

It will work out, and it will be okay.

If you have any questions or tips for wedding planning during a pandemic leave a comment! I would love to offer advice, or learn from you!

Love,

Lilly