How To Safely Get Married in 2020
How do you celebrate your love during such uncertain times?
So here we are, in the midst of a global pandemic.
What is going on? The world seems turned upside down. I’m concerned for the health of my friends and family, and the wedding industry is being thrown through a loop. I feel torn between being a small business owner and being a concerned citizen. We’re in the middle of some un-precedented times, determining how to combat a pandemic, respect the health of strangers around us but still partake in celebrations of love and human connection.
What do we do?!
To begin — you are not alone.
The world is hurt, and as I write this, the healing process has barely begun. Everyone grieves differently. There is no wrong or right way to mourn the loss of loved ones, the pain of our country and the harm caused to many communities. It’s okay to eat some extra cookies right now, it’s okay to sleep in or stay up all night, it’s okay to be extremely productive or embrace the stillness. You’re allowed to mourn the loss of what you thought these months would look like. I’m personally grieving the loss of experiences with my best friend right now. She’s pregnant with her first sweet baby and due in four weeks. I couldn’t throw her a baby shower or even take maternity photos. You’re allowed to be sad, your emotions are valid.
But, as my favorite author, Marc Manson, once wrote, “Who you are is defined by what you are willing to struggle for”. For me, that’s my family and my business. Bring on the struggle.
Once I decided to embrace the odd times and potentially life-changing experiences happening around us, I became motivated to grow our business in the healthiest and safest way possible.
Embrace Creativity
This is not what we expected 2020 to look like. There’s no flying cars and most of our weddings this year have been postponed till next year or even later. But even if your plans changed or you’re feeling defeated, we can still create experiences for our clients that surpass their wildest dreams, avoid outdated traditions and allow total creative freedom!
Let’s make new plans!
Like I said before… THERE’S NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY TO HANDLE YOUR EMOTIONS THROUGHOUT A PANDEMIC! As long as you’re putting your health, and the health of your fellow citizens, first, then whatever emotion you’re feeling is completely valid and normal… including wanting to say I DO or HELL YES sometime in 2020. We don’t blame you, either!
⋒ Postpone, Don’t Cancel!
This might seem like a silly detail and just semantics, but all the small businesses you hired would really appreciate this gesture. If you haven’t noticed, we love you guys. Like… a lot. Our community and our clients are EVERYTHING to us, and many become our friends for life! So please, consider our dedication to you and consider postponing your wedding or elopement, instead of cancelling all together! Most retainers are non-refundable and the last thing we want is to cause stress or tension about money! So please reconsider your timeline and what you can still accomplish by postponing! We are taking this very seriously and have happily worked with many couples to reschedule their wedding or elopement. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind and let us help you!
⋒ Vow Ceremony
If you still have a special 2020 date in mind, or feel attached to the idea of saying “I Do” in the near future, then perhaps a simple vow ceremony would be perfect for you! We can set aside a couple hours in a location that means the world to you, and simply embrace the simple moments between you two. Remember, your wedding or elopement should be what YOU and your partner want. If this feel right, we can separate your ceremony and reception, and create a whole new tradition. The legal aspect can be handled now, along with a small private ceremony. Then you can party hard with your friends and family when it becomes safer for all of us to be in close quarters!
⋒ An Elopement
Elopements can take different forms and become something completely unexpected. This can be simple (like a quick trip to the courthouse) but we recommend an adventurous elopement, away from other people and uncontrolled environments. It does not just have to be you and your partner… and you know why? Because that’s the beauty of elopements! You’ll naturally have a small attendance and by opting for a natural backdrop, we can help ensure you’ll be social distancing and enjoying privacy.
Your elopements is a transformative celebration that can be virtually anything you want! We have flexible pricing and packages for elopements, allowing you to have full freedom and the ability to create a day’s worth of experiences that perfectly reflect you and your partner. There is no limit to what can be accomplished, from a quick trip to a remote location for a hike and ceremony with just you two, or a more expansive adventure with quiet moments getting ready together in a romantic AirBnB, a hike to a magical spot, a ceremony with your family or closest friends, and a reception with whiskey, dancing and sharing stories. We’re here to help you plan an elopement that fully encompasses your values and uniqueness!
⋒ Micro Wedding
An intimate wedding is the perfect experience for a couple that values tradition while still embracing new concepts and adventures! The importance of your wedding is not the size, but the quality of love and the value of kinship. So bring on the champagne and cake cutting, because the traditions that matter to you, matter to us. Dependent on your state and the specific guidelines for your area, we can safely shoot very small groups of people. The cost for most vendors will be decreased because of your small attendance numbers, but we all know that people you’re inviting are going to be your absolute favorite humans on earth! So there will still be plenty of weird dance moves, hilarious stories, bad speeches, people laughing so hard they make that snorting sound, and delicious cake… or cupcakes, or donuts, or tacos, or whatever fun thing you think of! Because all that matters is you had it your way. Burger King would be proud. Oh, maybe Burger King is catering?
But don’t let it stop there!
Feel free to contact us about engagements and couple shoots, along with larger bookings for 2021 or later!
We are taking all the necessary health precautions to ensure your safety. If you’d like to learn more about how we’ve adjusted our business to combat Covid-19, check out our announcement! We promise to do everything within our power to keep you, and your loved ones, safe. We will follow the guidelines, listen to science and provide our clients with every means necessary to create a memorable experience in 2020, or postpone their event until a later date.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or thoughts! We are happy to discuss the logistics of a shoot… including details and plans for safe elopements and micro weddings. We encourage all questions — you deserve a stress free day with people you trust!
Your love is not cancelled.
Let us help you discover new and safe ways to make 2020 your year!