There is no doubt that 2020 has been a challenging year on many fronts. The unprecedented pandemic has changed every aspect of society, from how business is conducted to what people wear on their faces when walking out the door in the morning. Perhaps one of the industries hit hardest by quarantine was the wedding scene. All across the world, weddings had to be canceled or postponed indefinitely as the period of isolation elongated. With states rushing to open and a lot of uncertainty in the air, experts are trying to figure out what the future will look like.
Whether you’re planning your own wedding or wondering what it will be like to be a guest, these are a few ideas circulating at the moment. Learn more and see how you will need to adjust moving forward.
A Focus on Hands
Both the CDC and WHO have spent the pandemic stressing the importance of regularly washing one’s hands throughout the day. Additionally, hand sanitizer has played a big part in limiting the spread of the novel coronavirus. With more people paying more attention to hand hygiene than ever before, it should come as no surprise that the future of weddings will have a lot to do with cleanliness. Receptions can be a hotbed for viral outbreaks, with people coming close to greet, dance, and share in the mood of the moment. This means guests will need to wash their hands frequently.
Wedding planners are encouraging those planning events in the coming year to consider incorporating hand sanitizer in fun ways. Give out individual bottles to guests when they arrive for the ceremony, and you will not need to worry about whether people brought their own. Additionally, you can work with the venue to ensure that there are ample soap and sanitizer available to guests throughout the duration of your wedding. These precautions would have seemed like overkill last year but can make all the difference for the future.
Behind the Mask
Masks have also become the norm around the world, with a majority of businesses requiring customers to wear masks in order to enter a space. Current guidelines in most areas state that masks absolutely must be worn in public or when gatherings of more than a few people are taking place. At a wedding, unfortunately, you might be dealing with guests who fight this regulation out of fear of looking awkward in photos or being uncomfortable. While you don’t want to waste your energy fighting guests on this point, you should make your health intentions clear in your invitation.
A guest who refuses to adhere to the common-sense practices enforced by local and federal regulations is going to be a disruption to your event. Whether family member or friend, you can’t allow one defiant person to infect those who have come to your event and followed your request. It will be up to you how to handle the problem, but it is good to start thinking with your partner about solutions to this obstacle. On the fun side of things, you can consider purchasing personalized face masks for your guests. This is an easy way to handle wedding PPE.
Concerns With Catering
Of all of your vendors, the caterer will probably require the most attention to ensure it complies with post-COVID regulations. Serving food is still a matter of debate in most states, so it is not entirely clear how it will work for the service industry after all is said and done. For now, it is good to start preliminary talks with potential vendors about what steps are being taken within the business to adhere to health regulations.
Weddings are a chance for people to come together in celebration of love. While the novel coronavirus might have changed the execution, it can never destroy the heart at the center of humanity.
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