If your wedding will be going ahead within the next few months (at least!) you’re going to have certain restrictions to follow, including social distancing. Discover three tips to help deal with this here, from Taylor Made Videography…
In these crazy and unprecedented times, our daily routine likely bears little resemblance to how it looked twelve months ago. Social distancing has become an integral part of our day-to-day lives, fundamentally changing the way we shop, interact, and travel.
This has also affected other types of events, including concerts, sporting events… and weddings.
So much time and money goes into planning the perfect wedding, and having to factor in social distancing can throw a real spanner in the works. Add to that any limitations imposed on venues and churches, and you might find you have to drastically alter your original plans.
Here are 3 top tips for having a successful socially-distanced wedding:
1 — Basic social distancing practices
There’s no escaping the fact that if you’re going ahead with your wedding in the current climate, your guest list will likely need trimming. This can prove tricky with the ceremony, because you obviously want everyone who matters to you to be there for your big day. However, you not only have to consider social distancing rules, but also the rules imposed by the venue.
To be safe, plan to allow at least two seats between each person, couple, or group in attendance. One way to organise this is to simply list all your guests in order of importance to you, starting with close family and friends, then work your way down until the venue is filled.
For the reception, whilst you still have to consider any restrictions or limitations enforced by the venue, you do have a little more leeway in terms of guests. It was announced by the UK government that as of 15th August 2020, wedding receptions that included a sit-down meal could have a maximum of 30 people in attendance*. This might not seem like a lot, but compared to a couple of months ago, this is a reasonable compromise.
To take advantage, make sure you look at venues that are naturally more spacious. Function rooms in hotels are great, for example, as they’re designed to hold hundreds of people. This means you can get creative with the layout of the room, giving people the space they need whilst still making it a memorable occasion.
2 — Hire a good videographer
The sad reality is that you might not be able to invite everyone to your big day that you would like to. Your 500-strong guest list will likely be whittled down to 50 people or less. But you can spin this into a positive thing by using the money you would save on a top-quality videographer. More than just a photographer, they will document your big day from beginning to end, providing you with an actual movie of your wedding! Not only will this preserve the memories for you in a unique and memorable way, but it’s also the perfect gift for people who weren’t able to be there in person.
3 — Use social media!
Let’s face it… everyone has Facebook nowadays, right? A great option for you is to create a private group on Facebook and invite your guest list to it. You can then stream your ceremony to the group using Facebook Live. This is a great way to share the special moment with your friends and family who couldn’t be there in the current climate — whether that’s because of social distancing guidelines, or because they live abroad and are unable to travel. All you need is a good webcam, a laptop with Wi-Fi, and a kind guest to hold it in place!
We hope these tips help you to have your dream weddings, despite the current climate.
* Correct at time of writing.
