Amid Covid-19: How to Celebrate Your Wedding Safely

So the government has allowed, and you have decided, that that we can move forward with celebrating your wedding.

First: YAAAASSS!!!

Second: We all just went through a really scary and traumatizing experience. So what does celebrating look like now?

If you’d like hands-on help discussing your options; if you are needing to reformat your wedding vision to fulfill safety guidelines, let The Get Together Events Co. help. The Get Together Events Co. is now offering Covid Coordination, for anyone going through these tough times. This wasn’t supposed to be part of the wedding planning process… Lets go through it together.

(NOTE: the following thoughts were updated on 5.10.20. In this ever-evolving time, please refer to your city’s current safer-at-home orders and CDC directions. The Get Together Events Co. does not have a crystal ball or a medical license so the below are solely our suggestions as event professionals with the knowledge we have at this time).

HOW TO PARTY SAFELY

• PRE-WEDDING:

  • Reach out to all vendors. Make sure your team taking the necessary protocol to stay safe and healthy. Through this time, lots of business are changing their procedures so see where your team stands.

  • Allow your guests to cancel. Beyond being the best wedding guest ever, your friends/family have a duty as members of society to limit transfer of disease. Communicate with your guests ahead of time that it is okay to not be physically present at your wedding if they feel at all ill or unsafe.

• CEREMONY:

  • Let’s spread folx out. There is no need to pass on those happy tear to your neighbor! Where possible, consider wider rows or have guests sit every other pew.

  • Nix the ushers. Instead of having friends or family pass out programs and escort guests to their seats, have programs pre-placed and let guests find their seat with signage.

    • Just like your “no cellphone” policies, use your programs to outline your safety protocol so guests no what to expect without having to make an announcement.

  • No handholding. During prayers, link elbows or whatever floats your boat.

  • Cut the receiving lines (I’m talking to you parents!) The tradition is dated and takes up precious time anywho! Save your hellos for your reception where the expectation doesn’t need to be to touch every person.

• RECEPTION:

  • Think about your surfaces. Where are people going to be touching over and over again? Bar, restroom, and…. your guestbook. Save the potential for germ transfer by instead having guests create video messages, having the guest book staffed (and cleaned) or nixing the guest book all together.

  • Hire more staff. To clean restrooms more frequently, to open doors for guests, and to limit monitor overall event cleanliness.

  • Adjust your menu.

    • We all LOVE a good family style meal trend. But that’s a lot of people touching the same silverware! The new trend is going to be staying healthy. Instead of family style, I suggest french service! That is where food is served from the family style platters table side to each guest by masked and gloved servers.

    • Instead of a self-serve buffet, have it staffed and see if your catering company has a plexiglass option for food barriers.

    • Avoid grazing stations where guests pick up their food with their hands!

  • The more touching = the more germs, so find a new way to share the love with guests at your wedding. Come up with a signature greeting, like you would a signature cocktail!

  • Increase the size of your dance floor. Give guests the space to breathe and really bust out those moves! Have DJs avoid slow songs that increase contact as well. And if there are any songs that require group touching (the Horah for example) , link elbows instead of hands.

  • Have protection available. We customize kippahs and cocktail napkins, why not have some custom masks available for those that would like the extra protection? And hand sanitizer is the new butter mints. Customize those babies and have them at each table!

  • Reconsider your floor plan. Rearrange seating to keep vulnerable guests away from others and spread out seating as much as your venue allows. You can also investigate the airflow patterns of your venue to see which direction disease would spread (And keep the food out of the flow!)

• Remember, The Get Together Events Co. can help you!

WOOF. This is tough stuff. There is no way around that.

We are all in this together, and know my heart is with you!