Covid-19 Support - Socially Distanced Weddings

The phrase ‘socially distanced’ has fast become part of our day-to-day language during the Coronavirus pandemic, and we have seen it spread into both the wedding industry and media with the recent talks of socially distanced weddings and whether they are even possible. So, we wanted to join the conversation exploring how socially distanced weddings could work in the future - if at all.

For us, and it’s important that we emphasise that this is simply our opinion, everyone has their own and we certainly welcome the discussion, but for TWP, we just don’t see large scale socially distanced weddings being a plausible solution. At least, not for our couples and our weddings.

Image by Teri V Photography

Weddings for us and our couples have always been people-centric celebrations. There’s a clear connection between each wedding we create and that is the priorities of our couples; they always come back to the people. From the very beginning of our careers, whatever the wedding budget or size of the guest list, the priority is the social aspect of the wedding. Celebrating with friends and family. I think with the present threat we’re all facing due to Covid-19, we only expect to see a continued focus on people as the most important factor in a wedding day.

As a country we’re seeing a conscious shift in values, it’s unsurprising that as a result of lockdown and the restrictions we’re all facing, everyone is treasuring the moments we do have with friends and families. So we of course are keen for weddings, parties and gatherings to resume. We want to celebrate together and share our time again, because we have felt the absence of it, deeply. But is a socially distant wedding or party the way to do this?

Socially Distant Ceremonies

Image by Hello Romance PHOTOGRAPHY

A ceremony is perhaps the most adaptable for social distancing: Spacing your congregation or group of guests further apart, by setting the chairs 1-2 metres apart or limiting the number of guests per pew. Limiting the number of witnesses signing your certificate and generally reducing your guest list will all aid a socially distanced wedding ceremony. But expect a change in the photo opportunities and group shots.

Outdoor ceremonies will increase the chance of normality, as the spacing rules can be relaxed a little further when outside in an open space. For destination weddings, this is fairly low risk, but for UK weddings, there’s of course a limit to the summer months and the ever-present threat of poor weather.

Socially Distant Wedding Receptions

This is where we find the main issues in a socially distanced wedding. A reception usually begins with a drinks reception; canapés circulated and drinks enjoyed while you mingle with guests and enjoy a relaxed celebration together. You could look to distance a drinks reception, but in reality we feel it’s more likely it would need to be bypassed altogether or replaced with a more structured reception, so the distancing between guests and also staff can be managed. Equally, sharing foods or canapé services are going to be incredibly difficult to monitor and achieved in a socially distant way.

The wedding breakfast is certainly more plausible. A round table that would once have seated 10 guests, could be adjusted to seat 6, spacing can be adhered to and an increase in staff could mean there is a reduction in interactions between guests and service staff on the day. It’s entirely possible to arrange a socially distanced wedding breakfast in our eyes, but we do expect the cost to rise. Larger guests lists will need to be spread out and so the space required also increases - larger marquees, more furniture and more staff all means an increase in cost.

Socially Distant Evening Receptions

Again, we struggle to see the people-centric weddings we so love being possible in a socially distanced wedding because an evening reception would be incredibly difficult to distance. The joy of an evening reception for so many of our couples is the relaxed environment that is created. Good music, dancing, drinking and partying with friends and family - more often than not, this is the focus. We LOVE a good party, upping the entertainment, creating surprises throughout the night, allowing guests to freely enjoy their night. You just can’t distance a dance floor - not to mention policing social distancing after the guests have enjoyed a day of excellent drinks!

Image by Alex Beckett Photography

Micro Weddings

Personally, we would rather explore micro weddings, miniature celebrations and elopements of our couples before arranging a socially distanced wedding. A smaller celebration or ceremony now, and a longer wait but a social gathering and true wedding celebration later.

We can safely distance a small group so that a couple can share their vows and mark a beautiful step in their future together. We can then properly celebrate and create a stunning wedding for them to enjoy with their friends and family later on.

Ultimately, we find the idea of a socially distanced wedding too far from our core message of what a wedding should be about, togetherness. We can’t wait to celebrate weddings again, creating something truly outstanding for a couple to start their marriage with, but we’re not sure were prepared to do that until it can be done fully.

If you need some support because your wedding has been affected by Covid-19, have a read of our blog about how we can offer some free support to couples struggling right now.

TWP x