wedding after the pandemic
After 2 years of the lockdowns, isolations, and restrictions, things are finally, and slowly getting back to normal. That means the wedding you rescheduled for 2 years in a row, might finally have a date, and push through. Are you ready to go through all that roller coaster of emotions again? Just remember that it’s ok to feel overwhelmed, or maybe even nonchalant about it. Who can blame you? It’s been 2 years of utter unknown. Sometimes, you just get tired of waiting to the point where you just go “Whatever.”
I know somebody who was supposed to get married in the summer of 2020. She’s the type of person who is so organized. She had everything planned, everything was all set to go, but then the pandemic happened, and their wedding was moved to 2021. She accepted it, and moved all her plans for the following year. By the beginning of 2021 , just when she was starting to organize for her upcoming wedding again, she got pregnant with her first child. So all their plans and priorities changed. They got married via civil wedding. I haven’t heard anything about their wedding again, so I don’t know if it’s still a go. Maybe in the future? Having a baby is a big change, it’s a full 360. I am saying all this, because so many things can happen that might be a little overwhelming, and so it’s ok to feel things, like frustration, and even anger, but hopefully it goes away, as things are slowly getting back to normal.
Here are some things you can start doing as a bride-to-be, if you have your wedding date scheduled for this year.
Once you have the date confirmed by the hotel, or wherever you wedding reception venue is going to be, contact your church or officiant, and make sure they are available for that date. If the ceremony is in the same venue as the reception, then all you have to do is secure your officiant, pastor, or priest.
Contact your whole wedding party, let them know that the wedding is pushing through this year, so that they can, in turn, help you spread the word around, to your other guests and family members.
Inform all your guests that the wedding is really happening. You’ve already sent out the invitations, I’m sure, in whatever year it was supposed to happen. But now, you have to send out another invitation, just a simple one this time, reminding them of the new date, time, location. You don’t have to make it fancy. Just buy a cardstock, and you can do it yourself. My coworker, just bought blank invitations and they handwrote all the information on all of them to make it personal. Anyway they’ve already given out the real, fancy invitations a while back.
If you have a florist, confirm with them the date of your wedding, so they can also get ready. I am sure that with all the events finally pushing through, that they’ll be overly busy as well.
Make sure your bridal dress or gown, and that of all your bridesmaids, and the rest of the wedding party are ready, if they aren’t already.
Contact all the 3rd party suppliers you’ve booked before, whether it be for the photobooth, cupcakes, candy bar, or whatever you thought you will be needing when you planned for the original wedding date. Some small business might’ve, unfortunately, permanently closed during the 2 years the pandemic, so contact everyone, just in case you’ll have to find new suppliers.
Lastly, and most importantly, make sure that you and your husband-to-be are emotionally, mentally, and physically ok. Don’t get too caught up in all the wedding planning (for the nth time), that you forget to check on the 2 most important factors of the wedding, and that is you and your husband-to-be. Make sure both of you are doing great and is ready to do this all over again. The pandemic had taken a toll on a lot of people during the 2 years. Some are permanently scarred by it. You just have to make sure that YOU are both in a good place before you do this all over again.
**On you wedding venue, make sure you still have sanitizers, on the entrances, and all the individual tables for the guests to use whenever they feel like it. You can wrap the sanitizer bottles with cloth, or anything else that matches with the aesthetic of your wedding, so that it’s not going to be an eyesore at the tables. Also, make sure you have available disposable masks for the guests, in case some of them are uncomfortable with not wearing one, unless they’re already wearing one. It’s better to have some in case, for your guests.
Final Thoughts:
Be understanding of everyone’s situation. Don’t be upset if somebody decides they no longer want to attend your wedding, even if they RSVP’ed 2 years ago. As I said earlier, a lot of people had been affected so much by this pandemic, and just because everything is getting back normal, doesn’t mean that every person is ready to go back to the way it was. Be understanding, and empathetic. I know you’re the bride, and this is your special day, but things have changed in the past 2 years. Let’s just remind ourselves of how lucky we are that we’re still here and we’re still pushing through.
Anyway happy planning!
