Level 1 Weddings are awesome!

Talking to couples during the various levels of the lockdown revealed to me how resilient people are and how our human ability to adapt helps us to create new meaning in times where there has been loss and extreme change.

Moving to level 1 it seems has brought a sense of relief with many couples finally feeling that they can plan their wedding day with a greater sense of security.Their fears up until now have been warranted though as there have been countless stories of venues closing down, suppliers closing their businesses and lost deposits. Add to that the idea that they might not have been able to have loved ones from different provinces or even high risk people attend their celebrations and you can understand that level 5 through 2 has had a severe impact on couples planning their weddings.

But here we are in level 1 and it is as if all of a sudden many people have decided that they are going to make it work for themselves in spite of the possible limitations and restrictions. Here are some of the weddings that are taking place:

The “Hybrid” wedding:

These celebrations are usually small in numbers of attendance (at least the minimum of two witnesses) but also host people online. Couples who prefer these kinds of celebrations often also plan a larger celebration event for 2021 when they feel that it is safer to do so. The advantages of this kind of wedding are the low cost and the fact that it can be arranged within weeks or days. Add to that the fact that travel is starting to become a better possibility and it means that couples who have been hard hit financially during these times, save money on their ceremony so that they can plan the honeymoon of their dreams.

The “Do it yourself” wedding:

Many people are still working from home and have a lot more time on their hands. This makes it possible for couples to build, make and bake most items needed for the ceremony and the reception as a way of saving costs and also involving family members with various skills. These are often simple yet elegant weddings, hosted at a home with minimal outsourcing to external suppliers. Note though that many couples would still often hire in a professional photographer if there is not one handy in the family. These weddings save a lot of money but are more work that usual, but the work can be fun and involving loved ones can create a wonderful sense of community after the many months of isolation.

The “Venue” wedding:

I am amazed to see how much thought venues have put into their business models to ensure that couples save money and feel safe when making use of their facilities. Some venues make their facilities available for photoshoots even when couples do not opt to make use of the rest of their services. Others have been able to go mobile in order to make sure that couples get the authentic venue experience in their own homes. It is sad to see how hard the hospitality industry has been hit by the lockdowns and I believe that it is worth it to make contact with a few venues in order to see how they can accommodate you. They want your business and they are professionals at making your day special.

The “Legalities Only” wedding:

There are various reasons why couples would like to just handle the legalities. One such a reason is that specific types of cultural and religious weddings are difficult to host given all of the restrictions. In order not to miss out on the value of their specific cultural or religious ceremony couples often opt to get the legalities over and done with now while arranging a larger ceremony for when it is safe to do so.

These are only a few ways that couples are celebrating their union together with their loved ones. It is clear that there is no cookie cutter wedding model that works for everyone and what I love about what I do every week is to see how couples use their creativity to celebrate what is important to them. If there is one gift that the lockdown has given us then it is the gift that we can see clearly what matters to us now. We can let go of all the things that are unimportant and celebrate life in the middle of a tough time.

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