With wedding sizes being limited for the foreseeable future and different states dealing with different regulations, the traditional approach to wedding planning has had to change. Wedding businesses around the country are shifting gears to accommodate COVID couples.
From virtual DJs and ring shopping to live streaming wedding kits and all-inclusive micro-wedding planning, wedding vendors are getting creative in their bid to help COVID couples have a one-of-a-kind wedding experience they won’t ever forget!
5 WEDDING BUSINESSES SHIFTING GEARS TO ACCOMMODATE COVID COUPLES
1. Tailoring packages for the micro and mini wedding
Wedding venues like Eleven Oaks Ranch are now tailoring event packages specifically for micro and mini weddings. Whether it’s a couple getting married now and celebrating with a larger group later or having an intimate wedding, packages start with 3-hour minimums on weekdays.
These weekday packages come in all sizes and are usually all-inclusive, which helps reduce stress on the couple. The Schoolhouse, located in Dallas, has a Love in the Time of Corona package for the couple only that comes with everything from an officiant, photographer, and a live stream of the ceremony with flowers available as an add-on. Then they offer a MiniLope with up to 10 guests and other add-ons.
2. Becoming open-air experts
Rental companies like Marianne’s Rentals are using their event set-up knowledge to create safer, open-air event design options. With their expert tent designs and staggered seating plans, they are making outdoor gatherings a way for couples to enjoy being together with friends and family while getting married.
Because they were part of the front lines creating triage facilities, drive-through testing, and command centers, rental companies are now likely to have expertise in COVID safety regulations, making that one-less headache for a wedding planner or COVID couple. Especially if couples are planning a backyard wedding, wedding rental companies are also putting together home wedding packages as well as being able to help create packages for a social-distancing style event. They are ready to accommodate COVID couples because as they say at Marianne’s — life isn’t canceled.
3. Virtual training programs
So many things have had to go virtual during this season. For this reason, many wedding businesses have shifted gears to accommodate COVID couples as they prepare for their big day — no matter what size their wedding is.
Bells and Barbells is all about wedding fitness exclusively for brides and grooms. They used this time to create a virtual training program that builds a custom program for each individual and couple. That means they work with whatever platforms and communication styles are best for the client whether that’s Zoom, Skype, Facetime, or more. And because it’s virtual, now clients are able to get even more help with elements such as their nutrition plans as well as get answers to their questions in real-time.
In addition to wellness for your body, beauty experts like Carolyn F. Beauty have begun offering virtual appointments to help brides and grooms get their skin nurturing expertise — even if they can’t be in the studio. Many beauty experts are also offering makeup consultations and step-by-step instructions for the bride on the wedding day.
4. Taking the party virtual
Just because the wedding is virtual doesn’t mean the party has to stop. In the face of live entertainment being limited in the early days of the pandemic, wedding entertainment vendors had to shift gears to accommodate COVID couples. Companies like Sound of Life Entertainment started offering virtual DJ and emcee services.
Whether it’s helping with a virtual wedding march so the bride can show off her wedding dress in a dramatic way or having the first dance — even a virtual one — wedding pros are proving that anything is possible! And because so many of the preamble events have been disrupted like bachelorette parties and rehearsal dinners or showers, they also offer virtual dance parties.
5. Banding together for all-inclusive, high-end micro/mini weddings
With so much changing, so quickly in the wedding industry this year, we’ve seen the rise of new companies made up of individual vendors to provide a one-stop shopping experience for COVID couples wanting to plan a high-end wedding experience.
Petite Soiree is one of those companies that specialize in high-end mini-weddings. This is actually a group of four vendors that have come together for an all-inclusive service including — Lauryn Prattes Styling and Events, Buttercream Bakeshop, Abby Jui Photography, and Sweet Root Village. Their tagline is petite, chic, now — with a play on the concept of not postponing your wedding. The selling points they offer are stress-free and uncomplicated, virtual live streaming, low risk, and cost-effective, while still being luxury.
Ceremonia is another example of wedding businesses shifting gears to accommodate COVID couples. This is a sister company to Claire Duran Weddings and Events with all-inclusive intimate wedding packages.
These wedding vendors are proving that having a smaller wedding — or a quicker turnaround doesn’t mean you have to skimp on the luxury of the day.
WEDDING TRENDS THAT COULD BE AROUND A WHILE
Making wedding packages a group effort
The wedding industry is by nature a collaborative one. More and more you’ll see vendors banding together to create sister companies or micro-networks that create a one-stop-shop solution for COVID couples during this season vs. going it alone. If it works well, we’ll likely see this trend stick around for a while.
Technology-savvy wedding venues
Along with their new micro-wedding packages, venues are becoming more technologically savvy with live-streaming packages and partnerships with related vendors that allow them to offer couples a way to connect even at a distance.
Honeymooning from home
With travel somewhat limited these days, some romantic destinations are creating honeymoons in a box complete with spa items, cocktail kits, homeware — and gift cards for a future stay. It’s the honeymoon equivalent of the micro-ceremony with a large reception planned for the future.
Wedding favors delivered to your door
Gift curators that previously tackled welcome gifts for out-of-town guests are starting to create wedding favors that can be delivered even before the wedding for a virtual celebration! This could give rise to lots of fun opportunities for couples to share custom gifts with those near and dear to them — especially if they can’t be together physically.
MOVING FORWARD WITH COVID COUPLES
Wedding businesses across the country are adapting quickly to provide high-end wedding planning services for couples dealing with quick turnarounds and changes due to local regulations.
What are some of the ways your wedding business is adapting to better serve COVID couples? Let us know in the comments below.
__
Written by Corrie McGee
