It’s official — 2020 is the year of the novel coronavirus. From work to home life and everything in between, there’s nothing that’s been immune from the effects of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic and the city- and statewide lockdowns that have left individuals and businesses scrambling to make sense of it all and figure out a way forward. 

But when it comes to weddings and other large events, things are a bit trickier, as if planning a wedding wasn’t already hard enough. In 2020, it seems that every wedding is a corona wedding, and special precautions should be taken to ensure the safety of each of your important guests, especially the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. 

Even weddings that were postponed earlier in the year are facing another round of cancellations and postponements as Covid-19 smolders and works its way through various communities. And the worst part is that many Covid-19 patients don’t exhibit symptoms at all, making screening with temperature and quick health checks at the door difficult to trust, though they can help keep the obviously sick away. 

Indeed, in many venues in communities across the U.S., weddings are still happening. Call them pandemic weddings, corona weddings or social distancing weddings, but they’re still taking place. Furthermore, as we enter the late summer months, more weddings are bound to happen as people realize that Covid-19 will still be with us through the balance of the year and possibly well into next year — that is, unless a multi-year postponement sounds like a good idea.

So if you’re wondering when you should have a wedding, there’s no time like the present. Countless venues that are usually booked months if not years in advance suddenly have lots of openings on their books, and you just might be able to swing that dream wedding for a steal, as long as  you keep an open mind and work with your venue and all your vendors to keep safety front of mind.

That said, it’s important to know that Covid-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a stunningly contagious sickness. Face masks, hand sanitizer and socially distant seating and interactions are all highly recommended, and they may even be required according to state and local ordinances during the coronavirus crisis. 

Unfortunately, weddings are rife with the kinds of interactions that health professionals warn to avoid, like buffet-style dinners, dancing and closely-packed seating during both the ceremony and reception. Large crowds are also discouraged, and your local wedding venue may have heightened restrictions on how many attendees you’re allowed to have and what interactions are permissible. 

But if you’re okay with it all and are looking forward to throwing a corona wedding in the second half of 2020, here are some tips to help make your wedding safe for everyone.

First up, revisit that huge guest list. You may want to have 300-and-some-odd people come to see you get hitched, but such a large gathering is not the best idea right now. Especially for your grandparents or other elderly family members that are highly susceptible to the dangers of COVID — you should only be inviting your closest friends and family. 

The same goes for those with pre-existing conditions that may not survive a bout with COVID, and you may even want to consider barring those from out of state that would need to fly or take a prolonged road trip to attend. You can always have a smaller ceremony — a “minimony” — now and follow it up with a blow-out reception in 2021 or later, which won’t carry the same health risks if a vaccine or other cure is discovered.

Another important wedding planning tip for a corona wedding is to ditch those communal buffets, finger foods and open bars and instead opt for plated dishes, drink service and other bites to eat that are doled out while guests are seated. It’ll cut down on the interactions required to make your reception work, and it might even be an interesting diversion from the typical expectation of a wedding. Also consider staggering drinks and mealtimes across different tables so that you can keep the commotion limited during the biggest exposure threats, like consuming drinks and food where masks can’t be reliably worn.

When you can, you should also consider moving all communal activities outdoors, as the fresh air is much better at preventing the spread of Covid-19 than the circulated air found indoors. That said, with a large enough hall and the right restrictions on how many people are allowed in, it is possible to adequately socially distance during a corona wedding without baking in the afternoon sun. For the best of both worlds, try a ceremony outdoors with an indoor/outdoor reception that gives guests the right environment for how they’d like to be safe.

As for seating, this is where that all-import chart starts to shine. Instead of mixing and matching larger tables to encourage serendipitous encounters and discussions, it’s better to group households at smaller tables that can help keep down the forced interactions of larger tables. This way, you can institute socially distant seating between groups of people, which is much easier to do across tables than with each seat. Also consider standing tables instead of rows of seats for the ceremony, which is a much better way to keep your guests safe while all eyes are on the happy couple.

When it comes to the facilities, you’ll also want to give your guests plenty of options. Instead of one exit and entrance that everyone files through, especially during changeovers between the ceremony and reception, guests should be given multiple entrances and options to separate themselves from the group. No guest or table should ever feel blocked in, and there should be no large bundles of people anywhere in the venue. 

Bathrooms are also another important consideration for a corona wedding, and one indoor, communal bathroom that can easily be filled with people queuing and waiting for their turn is a disaster in the making. Try some kind of ticketing system or opening up multiple bathrooms at your venue, and you might even want to consider portable restrooms hidden on site for those that don’t feel comfortable using the main facilities. It’s all about making your guests feel safe and comfortable so that they can celebrate your big day with you.

Last, but certainly not least, you’ll need to institute a mask rule. Except when eating and drinking, everyone that’s in attendance should be wearing a mask and practicing good hygiene such as frequent hand washing and hand sanitizing habits. You can even kick things up a notch with hand sanitizer wedding favors made by a local brewery for that nice and memorable added touch. Or go ahead and make face masks an integral part of your ceremony by requiring all participants, even the bride and groom, to wear one. It’ll make for some interesting pictures, and when you look back on it all we’re sure you’ll find that your 2020 corona wedding was a unique and fun experience, and even a pandemic wasn’t able to keep you and your partner apart.

For more about corona weddings, contact the wedding planning experts at Occasions4.us. With safety as our main concern, it’s true that you can even get married in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic with a few compromises and concessions. And the best part is that you’ll have a unique experience that you can tell your kids about one day. With six fabulous venues in the Las Vegas area, including Aliante in North Las Vegas, The Legacy in Henderson, Mountain Falls in Pahrump, Primm Valley at the Nevada State Line, Spanish Trail in Central Las Vegas and Wildhorse in Henderson, we’re uniquely positioned to help you throw the corona wedding of your dreams. Call or click to book today, or reach out to discuss our coronavirus precautions for your 2020 wedding.