What Does the COVID-19 Vaccine Mean for 2021 Weddings?

After a long, unpredictable year, Monday, December 14, brought hopeful news, as the first COVID-19 vaccine was administered.  Engaged couples and wedding professionals across the globe cheered in anticipation of the possibility of wedding celebrations resuming to normal.  While hopeful for these future celebrations, many questions still remain about what this means for 2021 weddings: 

How will the vaccine affect my wedding?  

Will my 2021 wedding be allowed to happen?

Should I postpone my 2021 wedding?

Will guests still be required to wear a mask to my wedding?

We’ve been closely following health experts, and, while there is still some uncertainty, here are emerging trends and things to consider when thinking about your 2021 wedding: 

Photography by Perry Vaile

Early 2021 Weddings

It is widely believed that some form of restrictions on social gatherings will be in place at least through May 2021 - or until the vaccine is readily available to the general population. 

If your wedding is in January, February, March, April, or early May, ask yourself if you are willing to make necessary compromises to keep your original wedding date.  Those compromises vary by state and local ordinance but could include things like: reduced headcount, masks required on the dance floor, assigned tables for cocktail hour, and other such requirements to limit the spread.  

A good place to start: consider the current restrictions in place in the city you plan to wed. If nothing else changes between now and your wedding date, are you willing to move forward with those restrictions in place? If the answer is no, begin talking to your wedding planner and/or wedding vendors about postponing to a later date. 

Photography by Perry Vaile

Summer, Fall, and Winter 2021 Weddings

What does the vaccine mean for summer, fall, and winter 2021 weddings?  In words that seem all too familiar, the second half of 2021 is “too close to call.”   We simply need more data and more information in order to provide couples and families specific advice on how to proceed. 

However, we believe that data will come quickly in the new year, and our advice is to wait and see. We are hopeful!

Health experts and professionals seem to believe that vaccines will be readily available to the general population sometime in the spring or summer, and if you are planning for a summer, fall, or winter 2021 wedding, we encourage you to stay positive but start having thoughtful conversations with your fiancé and families now.  During this “wait-and-see” period, decide how you may be willing to pivot, if needed.  

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself:

Reduced Headcount: would you be willing to reduce the number of guests on your list?  What’s the lowest number of guests you are willing to move forward with? 

SocialDistancing: does your venue have enough space to distance tables and guests, if still required? 

Masks: if masks are still required or recommended, are you willing to proceed? This can be a point of contention when thinking about your dance floor.

Meal Service: would you be willing to pivot from stations or a buffet to a plated meal to limit movement of people, if needed? 

There is no right or wrong answer, and you may still be unsure. That’s okay! We have found that couples who can have these conversations over a period of time are much better prepared to make these decisions when needed. These are not easy decisions to make, but the added pressure of having to do so quickly without the opportunity to discuss in advance certainly doesn’t make them any easier.  

We know none of this is easy, and we’re so sorry you’re having to consider these circumstances as you plan your wedding. If you are newly engaged and considering a 2021 wedding date, we encourage you to read How to Start Planning a 2021 Wedding during the COVID-19 Pandemic for helpful tips on navigating the pandemic planning process.

2020 has forced us to reimagine weddings as we knew them. And what we’ve learned is that the joyful art of celebration is no less meaningful with a smaller guest list or socially distanced design.  Our very own team member, Maddie, had to navigate COVID when moving forward with her wedding plans this summer. We virtually hugged her through the tears and pivoted with her as the restrictions continued to change.  But as she put it, “While the planning process this year had its fair share of emotional ups and downs, we couldn’t have been happier with how the day turned out.”  To spark some joy, I encourage you to read her story to see her beautifully reimagined wedding day.  

Stay tuned over the coming months, as we share six unique stories of beautiful weddings that took place in 2020, all of various sizes and within the guidelines in place at their various locations. 

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We look forward to celebrations to come in 2021! 

Cheers!

Betsy