Weddings the way forward?

By Nicola le Couteur Bisson of Cornish Celebrants

There is some welcome news in the wedding world – a chink of light at the end of a very dark tunnel for couples and suppliers alike.  Legal ceremonies (marriages and civil partnerships) can go ahead in England from 4th July 2020 with a maximum of 30 guests who are able to travel to attend the nuptials.  There are still restrictions – guests must follow social distancing guidelines whilst attending and – and this is a big one – any reception must follow the guidelines for public gatherings, no more than 6 in any group, which is not the party most couples have dreamt of.

So is there a way forward both for couples and the wedding industry until these guidelines are relaxed further?  We, at Get Wed Online, have been putting our collective heads together to come up with some ideas.  Whilst we, along with other wedding suppliers, welcome the relaxation of the rules, it does leave a big gap in what is usually included in a wedding celebration – the reception is not allowed to go ahead in its time-honoured format!!  So, in the meantime what can venues do to capitalise on this relaxation of lockdown?

You could offer to host the wedding of any of your couples who are wedding-ready (ie given their Notices of Marriage giving the name of the venue) and then offer them the option of a Celebrant led celebration at a later date with all their guests.  Saturdays already booked up?  How about being flexible and offering a mid-week celebration instead – could a Tuesday or Wednesday become the new Saturday?  Think what else you could offer to entice them to say yes to that mid-week date.

Or how about incorporating Zoom into their ceremony to allow more guests to participate in the proceedings?  The couple could have their nearest and dearest physically present (social distance compliant of course) and then the internet could connect them to other guests, everyone dressed up and wedding-ready. 

With receptions – including the glass of fizz and canapes immediately post-ceremony -  are off the agenda at the moment, how to celebrate afterwards whilst the current restrictions are in force may require a bit more imagination.  How about offering the couple a romantic dinner for two delivered to their room following the intimate ceremony, and to share the menu with the rest of the guests, add in zoom and they can all eat together, drinking the same wine,  and speeches and toasts could still be enjoyed.

As and when restrictions are lifted further, think outdoor ceremonies - social distancing is so much easier to maintain when out in nature, and the virus doesn’t spread so easily outdoors.  Consider asking your couples to undertake the legal ceremony first, followed by a Celebrant led wedding celebration – no licensed area required so venues can use garden areas previously not utilised.

You may need to rethink the catering – if social distancing and “Bubbles” are in place,  think picnics  - your guests can sit in family groups to eat – everyone together but apart.  Consider teaming up with fellow - planners, marquees, caterers, florists, etc to offer packages to help couples visualise their day – after all some may have planned the wedding once and may be feeling very low at the prospect of doing it all again.  There are some amazing clear structures being built which would allow groups to be in their individual bubbles, whilst feeling part of a wider group.

We are going to be strange times for a while yet, so we all need to think imaginatively to allow our celebrations to take place joyfully and inclusively.

Zoom Weddings - Pivoting During The COVID-19 Lockdown

Is Now The Time For Zoom Weddings To Take Off In The UK?

At a time when legal weddings cannot take place, either in a Church or at a Register Office;  when the country is in lockdown and we all have to keep a social distance, how do couples who were hoping to officially tie the knot decide what to do?

The options for couples to get married in #Lockdown are limited, you can either postpone, re-arrange or cancel your booked wedding date. With limited options available to couples, a team of Cornish Wedding Businesses have partnered together to offer a unique alternative.

We have partnered with the team of “Cornish Celebrants”, Nicola and Denise, creative wedding blogger, Marie from “Eeek!”, Richard from “I do Film Weddings” and Verity Westcott from “Verity Westcott Photography” to offer virtual wedding days and celebrations on a new platform called ‘Get Wed Online’.

Having spent the last few weeks helping couples to postpone and re-arrange their wedding plans, we felt that somehow a couples special date could still be celebrated – virtually.  The idea for Get Wed Online was born.  Together, the Get Wed Team want to bring some joy to couples during this difficult time. 

Whilst the ceremony isn’t legally binding, their virtual ceremonies will allow couples to mark the occasion of their planned wedding date, and if they wish they can share the ceremony with friends and family.  This could turn a day, potentially one of sadness and disappointment, into a uniquely memorable one.  Even couples separated by circumstances can enjoy a virtual celebration to mark their day.  Every couple will have the opportunity to have an edited highlights video of their celebration.

The celebrations do not stop there! They will also facilitate other events such as birthday parties, proposals, renewal of vows or anniversaries.  As these are such unusual times with family members potentially having to stay apart, they have designed a celebration especially for them,  the Family Ties ceremony.

Given the current sacrifices, our Key Workers are making to keep us safe and well, the Get Wed Team felt that we would like to take this opportunity to give something back and say ‘Thank You’! Once a month, the ‘Win Your Wedding Competition’ for Key Workers will be run and the winner will receive a free online ceremony. Key Workers can either nominate themselves or can be nominated by a friend, colleague or the wider public. The winner will be presented with the Friends and Family package from the Get Wed Online website. 

If you would like to nominate a key worker for the ‘Win Your Wedding Competition’ or if you would like to nominate yourself here https://www.getwedonline.com/win

To start planning your wedding celebration head to www.getwedonline.com

Credits -

Photography credit - Verity Westcott Photography

Videography credit - I Do Film Weddings

5 Useful Resources For Wedding Venues During COVID-19

With weddings, events and mass gatherings currently on hold in the UK, it leaves the wedding and events industry wondering where to go next. We have put together our Top 5 resources to help guide and support venues through the lockdown period and beyond.

1) Support and advice for you and your couples on cancelling or postponing their weddings. Rocks and Frocks Weddings have put together a really informative article to help guide us all through this, click HERE to find out more.

2) Guidance and advice from The Money Saving Expert on Employment, Self Employment and Small Limited Company Coronavirus Help click HERE to find out more.

3) Three Key Employment Issues During COVID-19 from the experts at Cloud Legal, click HERE to find out more.

4). Key information on contracts, COVID and Force Majeure from the Cloud Legal team, click HERE to find out more.

5). A thought-provoking article from Liene Stevens at Think Splendid on ‘How Wedding Venues Can Avoid Negative Reviews During COVID-19’, read on for some brilliant advice.

We are continuing to help and support our wedding venues over this time. to stay up-to-date with our latest information and advice join our Wedding Venue Academy Facebook Group. If there is a specific question you would like to ask or would like to hear how other venues are managing this is a great safe space to do this in.

Best wishes

Hazel & Beckie x

Photography credit for the image directly above - Verity Westcott Photography