You may be freaking out because the wedding you’ve been planning and dreaming of for the past year or even two at this point. Is no longer allowed to happen or at least, not the way you had originally planned. First of all, we just want to say our condolences because we understand how heart breaking that must be, and it genuinely sucks. But if we’ve learned anything in 2020, and 2021, it is that you can make the best of a crappy situation, if you just change your mindset. So in this blog post, we are going to walk you through some ways you can make the most out of the changes and restrictions set on your wedding day!
one: vaccination status RSVP’s
Who knew that in 2021, you’d be checking your guests vaccination status on your RSVP’s. What a time to be alive! All jokes aside. This is tough topic. We all probably know someone who for personal, and/or medical reasons will not be getting vaccinated. And sadly, inline with the government regulations, this means they unfortunately will not be able to attend your 2021 wedding.
In order to protect yourselves, your guests, and your vendors, it’s important you follow these regulations. As of October 26th 2021, if even just one guest attending is unvaccinated, your guest list drops to 10 guests allowed at your wedding. And your wedding must take place outdoors only. So if you’ve heard this news, and you are now considering eloping, that’s amazing. We love elopements, they are so special. We would love to help navigate how to elope, if need be.
But if ultimately, you want more guests. You will have to inform guests, that they can no longer attend. A great way to do this is through RSVP’s. Whether you have a wedding website online, or you want to resend your invites with these updates. This is the way to go about it. You could make it witty, make it fun, but ultimately, somewhere on there, you’ll have to get them to confirm their vaccination status. And inform them that if they are not vaccinated, they cannot attend.
a great post by a dear friend/vendor of ours on how to navigate this can be seen here
two: livestream the event
Going right in line, with the first statement. If guests are unable to attend, for any reason such as border closures, regional/metro restrictions, vaccination status, etc. That doesn’t mean they still can’t enjoy your day with you!
There are many options for live streaming an event over the internet. You could use zoom, Skype, google meet, or even hire a professional to set it up for you. By live streaming your ceremony, you’re allowing your friends and family to truly be apart of the day. You could even ask them to get dressed up, and grab a glass of wine or your favourite cocktails, and spend a few moments after the ceremony speaking with them. If having loved ones present is a big value for you, this will make the situation so much more special and you will always remember them being present on your day.
two: party down the track
With the current restrictions around weddings, it may be unlikely that dancing, other than the first dance, will be allowed on your day. If having a big party, with everyone you love and dancing your ass off all night long, is the way you pictured your day, don’t worry you can still have that! It just might not be on your exact wedding day. Plan a party down the track, send out invites, hire a venue, and your favourite vendors! And hey now you get two special days, rather than just one! How fun is that?
four: invest in photography & videography
If you are going to have any vendors at your intimate wedding or elopement, you should prioritize photographers and videographers. And yes, we may be a bit bias, as we are a photographer, but just hear us out. By investing in media coverage of the day, you will be able to share the day with all your loved ones and make them feel like they were truly apart of it, as if they didn’t miss out! Trust us, your friends and family will love it and be so happy you documented it. It will allow them to feel apart of it, and see what the day was all about, as if they were there. Not only that, you’ll be so very thankful all your memories were documented, to relive for eternity.
five: go all out
Having to cut your guest list, probably means you have a bit of wiggle room in your budget. So why not use that budget to create your absolute dream day? Hire all your dream vendors, rock that designer wedding dress you’ve been eyeing off, hire a private chef to cook you a 5 course meal, order the best wedding cake to ever exist! Because let’s be honest, you only get married to the love of your life once! Make it a day to remember, rather than a day that didn’t go to plan.
six: make it an adventure
A small guest list, also means not having to move around a large group of people, allowing you to move freely throughout the day. Why not consider doing some of your favourite things on your wedding day, to make it extra special. You could go for a bush walk, have a picnic on the beach, go to your favourite ice cream shop, hike up a mountain, take helicopter ride, etc. You can truly make your day whatever you dream.
seven: focus on the two of you
Make it a day entirely about the two of you, your relationship and what you love to do. A small guest list means you don’t have to live up to any expectations of others and you can truly do anything you want to do. Think about how you two love to spend your time, what you value in your relationship, and then plan from there. It’s still the most special day of your life, and thats because its about you two.
To find out more about how to plan an elopement, view our blog post “how to plan an elopement”.
eight: love is not cancelled
And the most important of all… your love for each other is not canceled. Maybe your guest list is smaller than you’d hoped, or maybe you can’t travel abroad like you’d hoped. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still have the best day of your lives. You can always have a “traditional” vow renewal down the track, or a big party with friends and family. Keep your date, stick to your commitment to one another, and do it because you love each other not, because you can’t have the party you hoped for. It’s 2021, let’s start breaking traditions and creating our own rule book!
If you have any questions about how to go about having an intimate wedding or elopement during the current government restrictions. OR if you’re looking for some ideas of how to make it more special for the two of you. OR if your are simply ready to get started on creating the day of your dreams!
Get in touch. We are always happy to help make your dream come to life, while capturing all the memories along they way.
