Covid-19 Wedding Planning Advice
As concerns about COVID-19 spread across the globe, the Centers for Disease Control recommends people avoid crowded places and maintain distance from others. While it is far from the biggest COVID-related concern, this pandemic will affect couples with upcoming weddings.
“The most important thing our venue is doing for our couples is keeping them calm and collected. In times like this panic and anxiety is the LAST thing we want anyone to feel let alone our clients. We always express that the engagement process is the most joyous time in their lives, it’s supposed to be filled with constant smiles, love and so many memories—not fear, not panic and certainly not COVID-19.”
Should you postpone? There is no wrong decision. You must do what is best for you and your comfort level. You know each other and you know your guests. Some may feel they cannot relax or celebrate and must postpone, others will want the show to go on! This is the most exciting time in your life, and we encourage each couple to not let this virus take that away from you. You are getting married, period. Remember that and keep it in mind as you determine what is best for you together.
For us, the most important thing we can convey to our couples is that we are all in this together and we will get through it together. We are offering our couples the option to postpone sometime later this year without any additional fees. This has not been easy for them or us however everyone has been very appreciative of our flexibility and understanding.
Safety First: Wedding vendors are implementing procedures to ensure your safety. Obviously, there is a lot of talk about washing your hands, hand sanitizer, and stocking up. For a wedding, it is a little different as we want to go beyond that. Things that come to mind right off the bat are including mini sanitizers in welcome bags or upon arrival, avoiding all stations, both food and beverage but also interactive, where people touch things, encouraging guests to stay home if they feel under the weather, and making sure any elderly or breathing impaired guests are of the utmost concern.
As leaders we have been proactive in providing health guidelines and motivational tools to preserve and share a calm and positive attitude. To be creative and dedicate this time to think outside the box, implement different sources of income, and reflect on the impact of this event and how can we move forward.
Mandatory pre-screening via email survey for all event attendees by the client: Any attendee that has experienced fever/flu symptoms within 96-hours leading up to the event, any attendee that has traveled to highly affected areas with-in 14-days leading up to the event, any attendee that has been directly exposed to a person with symptoms and associated risk factors with-in 14-days leading up to the event, should be prohibited from attendance.
Optional thermal screening at check-in we are in the process of procuring walk-through screeners and handheld thermal scanners and will engage trained healthcare professionals to monitor all event staff and attendees at check-in for fever and signs of infection.
Implementing no-touch greeting policies for event staff and attendees.
Increasing cleaning and complete sanitizing of restrooms from hourly to every 30-minutes throughout the event.
Increasing cleaning personnel to wipe down and sanitize hand railings, door hardware, and all surfaces throughout the event.
Increasing the frequency of mandatory handwashing for all service staff to include hourly handwashing in addition to following the use of restroom facilities.
Still planning your wedding, but guests can’t come? We suggest doing a live stream of the wedding so your guests who are concerned about coming can tune in.