Hey friends, 

There are few words I can write that will make the stress of COVID-19 go away completely.

There are a lot of emotions happening, and if you’re like me, you might be able to feel the fears creep up in your body. It can feel like our tummies are tightening and our hearts are racing.

Or maybe you are tired of hearing about it and your reaction is frustration.

Whatever your feelings happen to be, I want to tell you first and foremost that your feelings are valid. 

This crisis on top of every other thing else can be a lot to handle. It is okay to feel whatever you feel about this. I am here to help, in any way possible.

Since there’s no one size fits all plan of action,  let’s have a conversation shall we?

If you’re planning a wedding during the coronavirus pandemic, you’re probably wondering what you can actually do about it.

Assess. List. Plan. Action.

This is my process and I hope that if will help you take the next step towards whatever it is you need to do to keep planning your wedding and living your life. 

 1. First things first: Assess your situation.

Take a minute, turn some stuff off, and figure out how you are feeling and what parts of this process are now over the top stressful. 

Grab a pen and paper. I know some of you want to just type it, but it can help with the stress to physically write it out.

2. List out what you need to figure out.

Write down all the questions you need answers to:

• What is your wedding date? How many weeks until then?

• What are the guidelines that are in effect in your area? 

• Do we need to cancel our wedding? 

• Do we want to reschedule?

• Do we see if we can have fewer people attend?

• Do we say only immediate family?

• Do we continue to do everything as planned? 

Once you have all of this listed out, decide what the most important thing for your wedding day is. In my last post, I mentioned figuring out what your priorities are. This is very similar.

Your priorities are going to be the tool here to make sure you are making the decision that is best for you, as well as your moral values.

3. Make a plan.

Once you have the answers to those questions, then it’s time to do something with them. Here are a few options you might want to consider.

• Have a smaller wedding on the same day. At this point, most people know that this is a serious issue—it’s a national emergency, after all—and would understand if you cut the guest list to the bare minimum. Some guests may be reconsidering attending anyway. Just make sure to let others know that their attendance will be missed. 

• Do a courthouse/elopement-style wedding. Wedding day planning can be stressful enough without a pandemic. There is always the option to go a different route. 

• Use technology and stream your wedding on FaceTime, Zoom chat, or go live on social media. This idea is being passed around a lot and I’ve seen it done before. When a family member cannot attend, someone will FaceTime the wedding so it feels like they are there too. This may feel a bit strange but it is an option to keep your wedding happening as planned. 

• Change the date of your wedding. This is probably the option you want to do least, but it’s definitely the safest one to stop the spread of the virus, and I urge you to consider it seriously. As you look at the availability of dates later this year, you may want to consider holding it on a Friday or Sunday. These dates are more likely to be available than another Saturday. 

4. Focus on what you can do today.

My couples know that we plan for all things—from rainy day weddings to tractors stuck in the road and messing up timelines. We plan for any outcome.

But this is an outcome that doesn’t come up often, so how do you plan for it? By doing what you can right now.

(If your wedding is next week, then your attention needs to be in problem-solving mode. If your wedding is in a few months, feel free to follow along but you can likely sit this one out for a minute.)

If your wedding is happening soon and you have gone over your options above, now is the time to reach out to your vendors to discuss how we can help. 

Many wedding vendors, like myself, are here to help you. Of course we would all like to be going along with the original plan; however, in the case you need to reschedule, remember that your vendors are humans too.

We are doing our best to continue providing you with the best products and services we can. Because we are humans, we are also experiencing this stress and are here working extra hard to lower stress levels all around. 

Extra Tip: Make the decisions that feel right to you.

Be kind. Remember that everyone will experience this differently and that doesn’t give anyone the right to be rude or unkind.

I know that it can be frustrating to add more to your plate, especially about something that is a celebration. Take a breath and remember this day is about your love as a couple and no matter what you have each other to get through this. 

If you continue with your wedding as planned, please take the following precautions that can help ensure the safety of your guests.

• Place hand sanitizer stations in every room (or at every table). I photographed a wedding last weekend that had stations and people used them.  

• Ask your caterer to have someone serve the food instead of letting guests handle buffet lines on their own. 

• Use single-use cups, even for refills. (I hate saying that because it’s not helping the environment but it’s an option that can reduce the spread of germs.) 

• Shorten the ceremony and reception. This may not be the wedding of your dreams, but it will still be your wedding.

• Most importantly, wash your hands and encourage your guests to do the same.

• Stay informed and follow updates from your state and the CDC. Follow the CDC guidelines along with your city’s and state’s mandates.

What’s most important right now is for us to take care of each other. In some cases, that might mean staying home for a while.

For anyone reading this, follow the directives from the CDC. Wash your hands. Sanitize and disinfect surfaces and make smart choices. Be kind to others. Don’t judge others for how they react. Do your best to help out when/where you can.

We are here in this together. Let’s do our part in making sure that we take care of each other and support each other and small businesses during this time and always.

With love,

Jenna