The worldwide pandemic has changed our lives completely. We had to spend a reasonable amount of time inside for the last two years by law. Even family celebrations such as weddings or funerals were affected. Such celebrations were still allowed in most countries but on a much smaller scale. Weddings were limited to just 20 attendees or less. Wedding receptions had to take place without any dancing. And even the getting ready parts in the morning had to be reduced drastically.
However, most couples who got married did not feel like they missed out on anything during this time. They experienced that small-scale weddings can be even more meaningful than traditional large-scale weddings.
Now that the lockdowns are over, couples come to realize that they can choose between large pre-covid weddings or smaller covid-style ones.
Let’s discuss a few of these changes.
Fewer guests but more fun?
Before the pandemic, it was en vogue to celebrate BIG. It was nothing unusual to have hundreds of guests, eights bridesmaids and eight groomsmen. Bigger was better.
As these numbers had to be drastically reduced due to the lockdown restrictions, couples were only allowed to invite the closest and dearest family members and friends. They discovered that it is not about how many guests they invite but about who they invite.
Wedding Photographer Moritz has been at many covid-style weddings with just 20 guests or even less. These weddings, according to him, have been just as unforgettable as pre-covid weddings. Natural moments such as the bride enjoying a glass of wine with her mum while sitting in the sunset would have never occurred at a busy pre-covid wedding. Before Covid, it would have been unlikely that the groom as the time to sit with his granddad and have a conversation.
Less rush, more time
Before the pandemic started, weddings were known to be notoriously hectic. These weddings were usually rushed from the early morning until midnight. One event would follow the next. The Sergeant wedding planner would make sure no time was lost as there was a tight schedule to follow. This setup, by design, allowed little to no time for real and unscripted encounters to happen.
Downsizing your wedding
As the government introduced limits on numbers, couples began to rethink their wedding plans. Brides got ready with their mums and perhaps a best friend in the morning. There was one bridesmaid instead of eight.
The wedding ceremony was limited to just 20 attendees. This meant that nobody felt anonymous. Everyone knew each other. It is beautiful when everybody in a room knows each other. Every voice is heard. Every laughter counts.
There were 200 guests at a wedding before Covid and 20 during Covid. The settings were intimate and cosy – and meaningful!
Weddings today
Coming out of lockdown (and it’s nearly springtime!) means a new awakening – time to rethink. Couples now have the choice of going back to celebrating weddings the way we did before the pandemic or reinventing it. Now is the moment to throw bygone expectations overboard and develop new wedding concepts. Couples are free to do whatever is the most meaningful to them – and not to do what tradition dictates or the wedding planner might suggest.
Bygone traditions
More and more couples decide to celebrate their wedding smaller than they might have done before the pandemic. Instead of the bigger-is-better approach that we have seen until early 2020, couples concentrate on planning their wedding small scale.
They invite fewer guests but spend more time with them. They stay away from traditional schedules, including ceremony, photos, reception, speeches, first dance. Instead, they do what they like to do! A day in the forest with fire and some tents? Fine. Nothing is forbidden.
How we have changed
The worldwide pandemic has changed our lives completely. We had to spend a reasonable amount of time inside for the last two years by law. Even family celebrations such as weddings or funerals were affected. Such celebrations were still allowed in most countries but on a much smaller scale. Weddings were limited to just 20 attendees or less. Guests searched for covid testing near me to test and ensure they were covid-free before attending the ceremony. Wedding receptions had to take place without any dancing. And even the getting ready parts in the morning had to be reduced drastically.
Forget Instagram
Before the pandemic, planning your wedding using Instagram and Pinterest was common practice. The way it ‘looked’ was more important that the way it ‘felt’. This has now changed. Getting married is about how the time feels and the memories we keep in our hearts rather than what it looks like and the pictures we keep on our phones.
It’s time to reinvent the way we celebrate weddings. Let’s be creative.