Planning a 2020 Wedding? We are smack dab in the middle of a traditional wedding season, as we wedding vendors call it. Usually, that means weekends full of 2020 weddings, days of engagement sessions, and all the reception dancing with the bridesmaids! However, COVID-19 has rocked our whole world and it has changed up how couples are getting married right now. Many couples are rescheduling their weddings for 2021 or waiting it out until their date is closer to make a decision. 

Each couple has a right to process their feelings in their own way. You put so much time and energy into planning your dream wedding! With COVID-19, it’s like you have to go through the planning all over again with rescheduling, picking new dates with vendors, and deciding what is best for you. There is a lot of uncertainty, but one thing I do know is that COVID-19 can’t keep us down. 

Of course, I encourage everyone to follow best practices in their individual states and counties. Hand sanitizer, proper handwashing, face masks, and social distancing are all extremely important. With those in mind, I do want to let my couples know that celebrating their love doesn’t necessarily have to be “pushed back”. It’s hard enough to wait for your wedding date, let alone a new one! So why not safely celebrate your love in a meaningful way and bring more goodness to 2020 wedding? 

1. Microwedding 

I wrote an entire blog post on this! Here’s the recap: micro weddings are a way for you to have the same feel and experience as your dream wedding, but with a smaller guest list. A wedding is considered “micro” when you have 50 or less guests! A great way to do a micro wedding is outdoors so that your guests have room to social distance. With a micro wedding you can still have that experience of walking down the aisle, celebrating that night with friends and family, and feeling like a traditional bride or groom but without the risk of a large gathering. 

2. Elope

This is one of the most common things I have seen couples do! I have a whole blog post about adding traditional touches to your elopement and top reasons why to elope. I think this is such a popular option because it gets right to the point. You don’t have to do a ton of adjusting with all your vendors and can even keep your original date if you want! You can make your elopement as grand or simple as you’d like. I’ve seen couples meet on the beach with an officiant and head out to dinner after and couples who rent an Airbnb and make a whole weekend out of it with just the two of them. This is a great option if you’re just ready to be married and done with planning! 

3. Courthouse and Honeymoon 

This idea comes straight from one of my real-life couples Ashlee and Shane! These two were originally planning a 2020 wedding in Turks and Caicos. Due to COVID-19 the island and resort shut down and after having to push their date back a few times, they decided to elope. But they did their own spin on it! They went to their local courthouse to get married and then went straight off to a honeymoon. That’s where I came in! They brought their wedding outfits to Destin, FL, and had the formal bride and groom photos taken with me! They got to have that intimate elopement and still had the bride and groom portrait experience with me on their honeymoon! I thought this was a great idea and had to share it with you guys. 

4. Livestream 

This idea is for any of the above ideas for a 2020 wedding! Don’t discount live streaming your wedding. Whether it’s just the two of you at a courthouse or your micro wedding, technology has given us a way to connect with everyone. We all have loved ones that COVID-19 could potentially be very harmful to and I do not discount that. If you decide to get married now and they can not be there, live streaming is a way for them to be there in spirit and actually experience your wedding! You can do a Facebook Live, Zoom call, or use another streaming service to share your day. All you need is a tripod and a phone. You can get fancier but truly a phone works! Have a tripod set up so that those who can’t attend can watch as you say “I do!” Then afterward you can grab the phone and share the excitement with them together! 

I know that rearranging and rescheduling can be incredibly overwhelming during COVID-19 especially planning a 2020 wedding. I want you all to know I am here. However, you choose to get married and celebrate deserves to be captured. Photography will preserve your happily ever after and be a way to look back on this crazy time in our world and the amazing moment of your life as you get married. I’ve worked with so many couples during COVID-19 and I’m happy to bounce any ideas around and be there however works best for you two! Contact me and let’s get you married!