The future of every industry is the subject of much discussion right now & we wanted to explore what weddings after Covid-19 might look like.

It’s no secret the wedding industry is one that’s been hit particularly hard by the global coronavirus pandemic and right now it’s important to support your local suppliers. However, as we approach the time when wedding season should be hitting full throttle, and we’re starting to see an ease in lockdown measures, there’s greater speculation than ever over what weddings after Covid-19 will look like.

Brides-to-be are adjusting to a life of virtual hen parties and wedding planning over Zoom, the future of the wedding industry remains an uncertain topic.

As lockdown measures begin to ease and there’s talk of small weddings going ahead from June, we wanted to share a little bit about what this means for your wedding and the new wedding trends set to take hold after Covid-19.

Wedding Planning After Covid-19

Whether you’ve already had to postpone or cancel your wedding, or your partner proposed during lockdown, making headway on your wedding plans whilst we’re in the midst of a pandemic is unlikely to be a walk in the park.

Wedding planners, however, may see a rise in business as the emotional strain of having to negotiate with suppliers and venues in a strained economy proves too much for brides-to-be to bear on their own. It will be more important than ever to communicate with and confide in your wedding planner at this time.

Without the personal attachment to the big day and boasting a wealth of experience, a wedding planner will help with the tough decisions make the necessary judgement calls to get your big day on the way.

Working with Local Suppliers

From wedding stationary designers to florists and photographers, many wedding suppliers are small, locally-run and independently-owned businesses. Often, they rely on a busy wedding season to stay afloat. Now more than ever it is important to stick with your original supplier or if you haven’t already booked someone, look for an individual close to home.

As we begin to adjust to life and weddings after Covid-19, communication and a mutual understanding that we’re all in this together will provide the basis of your relationship with your wedding suppliers.

It’s likely that a lot of your consultations with suppliers will continue to take place online. Many businesses made the quick change to virtual appointments and consultations during lockdown and as social distancing continues to be enforced, for those able to do so, this practice will probably continue throughout 2020. Additionally, suppliers and couples alike may have to get used to the idea of no-contact services – something that may prove challenging when it comes to catering your wedding.

Weddings After Covid-19 Trends

Weekday Weddings

A recent study by Bridebook claimed that around 64% of weddings in 2020 will either be cancelled or postponed as a result of the coronavirus. That’s a lot of weddings to have to reschedule in an already popular 2020/2021 wedding season.

So if you're a guest, start saving up now for outfits, travel and hotels. While we absolutely love the idea of a full year brimming with weddings not just on the weekends, please be careful to avoid showing up to work hungover the next day…

Socially distanced Weddings Outdoors

Given that the risk of infection is known to be higher in enclosed spaces while open air and outdoor gatherings are safer, outdoor weddings are expected to surge in popularity as couples seek to adhere to social distancing advice and keep their guests safe.

Outdoor weddings might not have been everyone’s first choice in the past given the uneven temperament of the Great British weather – but we would expect they will become far more commonplace as we make accommodations and learn to live with the coronavirus and it’s aftermath.

The challenge is to come up with interesting new ways to take on the ‘new normal’. So maybe we could see lunch as individual picnic boxes rather than waiter service and also live-streaming of ceremonies for guests who are unable to attend – something already prevalent in funerals at the moment...

Being outdoors or in open airy settings will provide not only a lower-risk environment and allow for the appropriate social distancing, but it will also help people feel more at ease and able to enjoy themselves.

Micro Weddings

When it comes to the size of weddings after Covid-19, for many suppliers and venues it’s all about the micro-wedding. There may be a move towards smaller more intimate events, and a move away from tradition, both through necessity, and as couples try to put their own stamp on their celebrations, rather than let them be run by the demands of being COVID-secure.

Show-stopping Ceremonies

The other side to the idea above is that delays and months of uncertainty during lockdown will culminate in weddings being bigger and better than ever by 2021. Fiancées will be absolutely itching to ‘go big‘ as much as possible to finally celebrate their much-anticipated big day!

Imagine waiting an entire year to finally get hitched, especially when you thought the day was definitely on its way. Now, we’re talking proper blowouts; extra attendees, glitter galore, bouncy castles, exquisite bouquets of flowers throughout, and all those classic crowd-pleasing tunes!

What to Expect From Your Wedding Venue

Greater Flexibility

Prospective couples should expect to see their chosen wedding venue looking in tip-top shape, as venues should have been using the lockdown period to invest in their property. Where possible, wedding venues should be flexible with booking dates in the upcoming weeks/months, to allow prospective couples to make quick decisions should the situation improve sooner than anticipated.

As a newly-engaged couple you should expect heightened communication when booking your wedding venue. Make sure that your venue is easy to communicate with, transparency and honesty will be key during this time.

Safety First

Venues are beginning to reopen to the public now that restrictions have been eased and the first order of business is safety. During your wedding venue tours you can expect to keep a 2m distance, have hygiene stations dotted throughout the venues, sanitising areas between visits and early evening appointments too in order to avoid congestion.

Cash Bars

If you’re asking guests to buy their own drinks, make sure your bar is fully contactless. You want to avoid cash changing hands as the virus can cling to the money. The contactless card limit has risen from £30 to £45 so you should still be able to get a round in!

Alternative Ceremony Seating

Ceremonies will change greatly to keep guests at a distance. Circular or semi-circular seating will become more popular, with spaced out rows of guests around the edge and the couple in the centre. Small bench seating that will hold two to three members of the same household will be placed ‘in the round’ with the couple at the centre to allow everyone to get the best views.

Guests may even be assigned ceremony seating in the same way as a reception. This way you can keep family units and ‘social bubbles’ together and avoid seating elderly grandparents or at-risk loved ones near someone you know may be more exposed in a key worker role.

The Guest Experience

Find Unusual Forms of Entertainment

Any entertainment that’s hands on is out the door. But there’s plenty of alternative ideas you can include in your big day:

• How about a tarot card reader? They sit across a table from guests and the guest only needs to point at, not touch, the cards

• Hire an old-school ice cream van that guests can queue up for – just make sure the server is in PPE and the queue is distanced.

• Have a string trio or an acoustic musician playing background music for during the day, then get a live band in for the evening

• Set up an outdoor photo booth – and ask guests to pull the silliest poses instead of handling the same props.

• Circus performers, such as stilt walkers, hula hoop dancers or fire eaters, often maintain a distance from guests anyway for safety so are ideal for creating an exciting, festival atmosphere

• Throw a fireworks display at the end of the night

• As long as you sanitise the stick between hits, a piñata is serious fun, especially for kids

• Hire a magician to entertain your guests at a safe distance throughout the day.

• If you’re having an informal affair, get all your guests to join you in a shot after saying your vows. It’ll get the party started!

Personalise Everything You Can

With fewer guests and more time to plan, you might want to think of micro ways you can customise and personalise your wedding for guests. Because you may not have the same level of physical contact with the people you love, you’ll want to find different ways to connect, laugh, and communicate your gratitude to them.

• Write notes to each of your guests and leave them on their place settings

• Commission personalised wedding signs and illustrations of you and your venue for your stationery, display family wedding photos, serve drinks with monogrammed napkins and cocktail stirrers

• Include flowers grown in loved ones’ gardens in your bouquet or centrepieces

• Name tables after the favourite places in the world you’ve travelled and where you’ll go on your honeymoon

• Design your own wedding rings – you might not be able to bring lots of friends or family with you to jewellery shops so this will make the process much more personal.

• Leave a note to your other half on the sole of their wedding shoe – a lovely thing to discover on the morning of your wedding!

• Serve signature cocktails that include all your favourite spirits and flavours, even better if you can serve them with fun pun names based on you as a couple

• Make sure both of you give a wedding speech: it’s traditional for the groom to make a speech, but whether you’re a bride and groom or a same-sex couple, you both deserve the chance to tell your loved ones how much you love them and thank them for sharing your day

• Include your favourite quotes wherever you can, from your stationery to written in neon lights around the venue, in your speeches or even as an aisle backdrop

• Bring your pets!

• Serve food and late night snacks you love and ditch a traditional sit-down meal if it doesn’t feel right

• Ask guests to nominate songs for your reception playlist or for your singer to learn for the night

• Instead of a sparkler send-off which requires you to all be close together for a good photo, think of a creative send-off such as bubbles

We at The Kent Wedding Centre are always here to help you at whatever stage of wedding planning you are at, so please do not hesitate to get in touch here.