Wedding Planning Guide for a Quarantined Bride
The COVID-19 pandemic took over the world in what feels like a blink of an eye. Many industries were closed down, and events have moved to further dates. As we are all hunkered down at home, there are still ways to go about planning, or re-planning your dream wedding!
IF YOU ARE NEWLY ENGAGED AND JUST STARTING TO PLAN
1. START PLANNING SOON. As many weddings are rescheduling, dates are going to be filling up fast! It is best to lock a venue and wedding date sooner than later, especially if you are looking to have a wedding in the spring of 2021.
2. HIRE YOUR CREATIVE VENDOR TEAM. Wedding planners and vendors are helping brides a tremendous amount during this time! They can help you with all your needs, picking the venue, date, and all the other details that come with wedding planning.
3. CREATE AN INSPIRATION BOARD. Creative sites such as Pinterest & Instagram are a great way to put together a vision for your wedding to share with your vendor team. Great wedding Instagram accounts include @greendressweddingshoes,
4. BOOK YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER. Quite a few weddings are getting rescheduled for a later date in 2020 or 2021. Look into booking your wedding photographer early on in the process once you have a date. Some photographers include engagement sessions as part of a booked wedding package. If you plan on getting an engagement session, you and your photographer can discuss a date to do so once it's safe to do so.
5. CONSIDER A SMALL WEDDING OR ELOPEMENT. Some wedding guests on your pre-list might not be able to make it due to COVID-19. It is ok to consider a smaller sized wedding or even elopement during this time.
6. KEEP AN OPEN MIND. This pandemic has changed plans for many. It's best to keep an open mind while planning a wedding. Consider having your wedding on a Sunday or Monday instead of a Saturday. Take a deep breath and practice self-care at home. We will get through this together!
IF YOU ARE KEEPING YOUR WEDDING DATE
1. CHECK CDC GUIDELINES. In the United States, there are different guidelines for different states. Check to make sure your planned date is safe to move forward.
2. IF PLANNED INTERNATIONALLY. Since travel bans have been put into place, check CDC guidelines, and consider choosing a domestic location if it's too close to tell. Most airlines have been able to change flights or give you credit, depending on your situation.
3. KEEP EVERYONE INFORMED. Be sure to communicate with your creative vendor team, caterers, florists, photographers, and check with your venue to make sure everyone is still able to be a part of your wedding day. Also, reach out to your guests. Keep in mind that you might have a smaller guest count in case some can't make it.
4. CONSIDER A LIVESTREAM. A lot of couples have been turning to programs like ZOOM to Livestream their wedding for those who are elderly or live far away and might not be able to make it.
5. LOOK INTO EXTRA HYGIENIC PRACTICES. Consider practicing personal hygiene by having extra hand sanitizer or renting additional handwashing stations for your guests.
IF YOU ARE POSTPONING YOUR WEDDING DATE
1. CONSULT WITH YOUR CREATIVE VENDOR TEAM. Keep your creative vendor teams in the loop if you are thinking about or already decided to postpone your wedding date and make sure they're still available for the future date. If you haven't set a new date, they will work with you on their availability for rescheduling.
2. MOST VENUES ARE FLEXIBLE WITH RESCHEDULING. Because this is such a unique situation that we are all dealing with together, most venues should be good with rescheduling your date. It's good to keep an open mind and consider having your wedding on an off day, like a Thursday or Monday. It will open up availability with your creative vendor team to be able to be a part of your day still.
3. IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON RESCHEDULING, DECIDE SOON! While it's a tough decision most couples are having to make right now, the sooner you decide to postpone, it'll allow your guests to have more time to work with their schedules and plan.
THINGS YOU CAN DO AT HOME WHILE QUARINITINED
1. BUILD YOUR WEDDING WEBSITE. Servers like The Knot, Squarespace, Wix, Weddingwire, Minted, and Zola are all great places to build your wedding website.
2. UPDATE REGISTRY. Places like Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy's, West Elm, Blueprint Registry, or Zola are all great places for a wedding registry.
3. CREATE A VISION BOARD. Pinterest and Instagram have tons of visual inspiration. It'll keep you inspired and help your creative vendor team bring your wedding ideas alive.
4. TAKE VIRTUAL DANCE LESSONS. Brush up on your dance moves with online dance lessons! Depending on what you are looking for, sites like steezy.co & dancewithmeusa.com are good places to start.
5. CATERING DELIVERY. Because we are all hunkered down at home, check with your caterer if they can deliver a menu-tasting right to your door.
6. BROWSE WEDDING DRESSES. Most wedding dress sites have a virtual styling team that can help you find the perfect dress. Some of these designers, such as Grace + Ivory, have a try-on at home program you can try out.
7. YOUR WEDDING TEAM IS HERE FOR YOU. Spend this time virtually working with your selected wedding vendor team. They are here for you and ready to bring your vision alive!
8. SELF-CARE/MEDITATE. As we are all going through this quarantine time together, do not forget to take some time for yourself and take a deep breath. There are apps such as Calm that offer soothing sounds. Yoga is always an excellent exercise to practice that will calm your mind as well.
WHERE TO SHOP ONLINE FOR YOUR WEDDING DRESS
HERE ARE SEVERAL WEDDING DRESS COMPANIES THAT OFFER VIRTUAL TRY-ON THROUGH THEIR WEBSITES:
ANOMALIE
If you are looking for a beautiful custom designed dress, Anomalie offers brides to create a dress through their website. They are working closely with brides throughout the COVID-19 crisis to make sure it is delivered at least one month before the wedding date.
GRACE + IVORY
Grace + Ivory offers try at home wedding dresses. Once you pick your top three, they will send the dress samples right to your door. You will have three days to pop a bottle of champagne and do a virtual try-on while FaceTiming your favorite ladies before sending them back.
LEIN
Lein has a sophisticated collection of wedding dresses, jumpsuits, and accessories. They are offering all brides and future brides 30-minute virtual consultations with founder and designer Meredith Stoecklein.
BHLDN
BHLDN has a beautiful selection of wedding dresses, accessories, bridesmaids, and bridal party dresses. After scheduling an appointment and taking a survey, you'll have a live, one-on-one virtual booking session with a BHLDN stylist.
Photo: Lucas Mendes: Pexels
GRACE LOVES LACE
Grace Loves Lace offers high-end luxurious designed dresses and accessories. Their stylists are taking online virtual appointments as well as providing a 24/7 online styling service.
BRIDESIDE
Are you still looking for your bridesmaid's dress? Brideside has an excellent selection. They offer tons of different styles and colors. Set up an online appointment with a stylist. They will help you create a mood board, and you can also pick pieces to try on at home.
DAVID'S BRIDAL
David's Bridal has an extensive list of bridal, bridesmaids, and wedding guest dresses. They also have a variety of dresses on sale. David's Bridal is offering virtual appointments with their stylists who will help you throughout the process.
OTHER PLACES TO SHOP ONLINE FOR YOUR WEDDING DRESS THAT CARRY A VARIETY OF DESIGNERS
NORDSTROM
MATCHESFASHION
REFORMATION
MODA OPERANDI
NET-APORTER
SHOPBOP
NEEDLE + THREAD
ZOLA
FARFETCH
FAME + PARTNERS
REVOLVE
MARKARIAN BRIDAL
RACHEL ZOE
AMSALE
WATTERS
FLORAVERE
LULUS
