In early March, Matthew Freshwaters and Annelise Adrian postponed their May 16 wedding over COVID-19 concerns.
[Ads /]
It is believed that over one million weddings have been canceled through August. Over the last few months, we've seen weddings online, in a parking lot and even a drive-in theater.
But Matt and Analise held out with the hopes for a traditional wedding, rescheduling for August 30.
"We just had an expectation that the world would get a grip on it alot faster than we've been able to. So as of right now, we're still kind of in that area of we don't know what's going to happen, we don't know if we're going to be able to pull off the August date," said the groom-to-be.
In order to pull off a summer wedding date, experts say be flexible and willing to change your original vision.
"I think it's important for couples to focus on why we're actually doing this," Allie Shane, a Southern California wedding planner helping the couple.
She also started The Backyard Wedding Collective in an effort to help couples downsize and still have a wedding with close friends and family.
[Ads /]
"Having any kind of wedding celebration at home allows you to have control over the whole situation. It's not considered a public gathering so it does give you a little bit more flexibility," Shane said.
The following tips may make planning your wedding a little less stressful.
- Have a willing friend officiate your wedding in order to cut back on unnecessary guest.
- Consider a weekday day wedding when more venues and vendors will have more availability.
- Buffet-style dinners also might not be the best option from a public health perspective, but be aware that plated dinners can be more expensive.
[Ads /]
- Plan for things that you can control, such as music, the photographer and make-up, while waiting for further safety guidelines which can change at any moment.
- Make a plan to easily distribute gloves and masks for your guests to properly ensure physical distancing.
"Obviously you want the day to represent you as a couple but I think it's also really important for people right now to think about their family and friends and create an experience that they feel good about, too," Shane said.
Regardless of their original wedding date, Matthew and Annelise say the only thing they can do is look forward to when their wedding actually happens, whenever that is.
"We're starting off this marriage with a lot of obstacles but we're making it through together and with high spirits," the bride-to-be said.