From a quick snap poll of our couples, it seems they are pretty fed up and we can understand why. I think it is fair to say that we are all exhausted by COVID and the continual uncertainty and stress it is throwing at us. Obviously, perspective is important. Thankfully, most of us have been very lucky and have only had to make a few lifestyle adjustments but, it doesn’t take away the frustration of not knowing whether your wedding is going ahead or not.
When this hit last year, most of our couples said they did not want to make any changes to their day and just wanted to push their wedding date back. However, this year it seems that most of our couples are keen to go ahead and really just want to get married and celebrate! Plans have been made and they are no longer prepared to wait.
We are all going crazy wondering what will or will not be allowed this year but the number of guests you’re allowed is the obvious thing that may be affected. It doesn’t mean to say that you’ll have to have a micro wedding but you may have to reduce the guests numbers a bit so it is worth thinking about. It seems that, if necessary, a lot of our couples are considering reducing their guest numbers so that their wedding day can go ahead. It is far from ideal but hey, this is a global pandemic and nothing is ideal.
So, if this is the path we have to go down, what do we need to consider?
The first thing that pops up in conversation is what else are you going to scale back on? Obviously the guest list but is there anything else? Well, it doesn’t necessarily all have to be about scaling back. When it comes to food and drinks you might even decide for more luxurious options. Although your guest numbers may have decreased, your suppliers probably have a minimum spend which means you can now choose some of the finer things. Smaller weddings are all about the intimacy and experience and there is something special about being really spoiled with great food and wine.
With regard to everything else, you just need to run through your original plans and see where you might want to make adjustments. Look through your list and decide between yourselves if there is anything that you definitely will not scale back on. If listening to the band or having the amazing flower installation was THE thing you’ve been dreaming of, then still do it. There might be some things that you decide you no longer need – maybe you don’t need as much entertainment or maybe it’s as simple as cancelling the coaches as you no longer have so many guests.
One thing we would suggest, is that when you are reviewing your plans, please don’t lose sight of the fact this is still your wedding day. Admittedly when you get the calculator out the cost per head will probably have increased but before you get to gung ho about cutting things, make sure you consider what is more important; the cost per head or the look and feel of your wedding day. There is a balance to be found that will be right for you.
When it comes to the format of a smaller wedding, it doesn’t need to change unless you want it to. If you look to Marie and Wes featured in the photo above, they celebrated their main reception with 52 guests and it was a blast. They were married in the Parish Church in Northaw and then celebrated their reception here with the tipis provided by Tipis4Hire and Kingfisher providing the catering and bar. I’m sure you can all sense the joy emanating from this photo. It was there in abundance and infectious throughout their day so smaller certainly does not mean lesser.
From a year where we have been socially starved, it is exciting to dream of any kind of gathering and those that are there will revel in the euphoria of this feeling. The pure joy of celebrating your wedding with your nearest and dearest is going to feel amazing and it truly will be a day to remember!