Rhiannon Hendricks
Planning a wedding during the COVID-19 pandemic comes with a unique set of challenges. Couples need to navigate a range of safety measures, from guest limits and social distancing to entertainment and catering options. While it can be a tricky task, it is possible to have a safe and enjoyable wedding reception with careful planning and creativity. This may include holding the ceremony and reception on separate days, creating a child-free event, implementing assigned seating, and choosing low-risk entertainment options.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of guests | Small guest capacity, typically no more than 30 people |
| Guest list | Immediate family only, no children |
| Venue | COVID-19 secure venue, no private homes |
| Food | Food trucks, servers bringing plates to guests |
| Seating | Assigned seating, socially distanced |
| Games and entertainment | Yard games, table games, couple's quiz |
| Dancing | Not permitted due to increased risk of transmission |
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What You'll Learn
Guest lists and seating plans
To create a guest list for your wedding during the pandemic, you could consider forming separate guest lists for your wedding ceremony and reception. This would allow you to invite more family members while adhering to COVID-19 restrictions. Typically, couples invite their immediate family to both events, and they can keep their extended family on the reception-only list.
When creating your guest list, it is important to be mindful of the number of guests you can safely accommodate with social distancing in your venue. In the UK, for example, the capacity at a wedding reception (including the couple, guests, and suppliers) should not exceed 30 people.
It may also be best to limit the presence of children at your reception. Younger ones are more vulnerable to COVID-19, and there is no guarantee that they will remain in their designated seats or follow safe distancing regulations. If you do decide to have children at your wedding, consider providing colouring pages and personalized masks as party favours.
Once you have your guest list, you can start planning your seating plan. It is recommended to have assigned seats at a COVID-safe wedding reception. You can mix up the seating plan so that guests can interact with different households. To avoid awkward silences, provide table games like tic-tac-toe, decks of cards, or question starters to spark conversation.
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Food and drink
To maintain safety, food and drinks should not be left out in the open. Instead, plated dinners are the safest option, followed by family-style service, and then buffets. For plated dinners, caterers can pre-plate the food and hand them to guests to keep the line moving and allow for social distancing. Gloves should be worn by servers and changed regularly, and serving equipment should be sanitised frequently.
Cocktails can be pre-poured and ready to be served to guests. Coffee and water service stations should be eliminated in favour of tableside service. For dessert, wedding cakes are still an option, but individual treats such as cupcakes and cake pops are preferable as they can be served to each guest separately.
If you are working with a smaller guest list, you may have more room in your budget for food and drinks. Consider adding an amuse-bouche or an extra course to your menu, or offering a wine flight to complement your chosen courses.
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Entertainment
When it comes to wedding entertainment, COVID-19 has forced couples to think outside the box. The key is to think smarter and ensure the wedding venue is well-ventilated, with lots of airflow. Backyard soirees are a great option for effortless romance and COVID safety.
If you're planning a destination wedding, consider making the location the theme of the shower, using maps, luggage, globes, and postcards as decor. You could also incorporate fairground rides, which are a fun way to ensure social distancing. Food and beverages can be served directly to guests at their tables, rather than having a crowded buffet.
For a unique experience, you could hire a mobile cocktail truck to bring handcrafted drinks to your guests. This also doubles as a great photo opportunity.
If you're looking for entertainment during dinner, consider hiring a local stand-up comedian for a short performance. You could also include wedding games to keep your guests entertained throughout the night.
It's important to note that dancing may not be permitted due to the increased risk of transmission. To include more family members while sticking to COVID restrictions, you can create separate guest lists for the wedding ceremony and reception. This can be a sensitive issue, so it's important to explain your rationale, whether it's budget or safety concerns, to your guests.
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Safety measures
To ensure the safety of everyone involved, there are several measures that can be taken when planning a wedding during the COVID-19 pandemic. Firstly, it is important to choose a venue that is COVID-secure and compliant with government guidelines. This means opting for a venue other than your private home or outdoor space, as these are unlikely to have the same level of safety measures in place. A COVID-secure venue will be able to safely accommodate a limited number of guests with social distancing in place.
To adhere to social distancing guidelines, it is recommended to create a seating plan that allows guests to interact with different households while maintaining a safe distance. This can be done by mixing up the seating arrangements during the drinks reception and at the wedding breakfast. It is also a good idea to provide assigned seats at the reception and offer table games to keep guests entertained and avoid restlessness.
In addition to these measures, it is important to be mindful of the increased risk of transmission associated with certain activities, such as dancing. As an alternative, consider outdoor yard games like cornhole, ladder toss, or giant Jenga. If you are set on having dancing, it is recommended to keep this outdoors and to avoid close-contact dancing.
To further reduce the risk of transmission, it is advisable to limit the number of children in attendance, as they may be less likely to abide by social distancing regulations. Additionally, consider providing personalised masks for your guests, which can even be themed to match the decor. Finally, ensure that the venue manager records the names and contact details of all attendees and suppliers for Test and Trace purposes.
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Child-free ceremonies
Planning a wedding during the pandemic can be challenging, especially if you want to keep children safe and entertained while adhering to COVID-19 restrictions. Here are some tips for organising a child-free ceremony while being mindful of your guests' needs:
Firstly, it is essential to communicate your rationale to guests with children. Explain that due to limited capacity, safety concerns, and vulnerability of children to COVID-19, you have decided to limit the number of children at the ceremony. Most guests should be understanding if you sincerely convey your concerns. You could also suggest a video call option for those who cannot attend due to these circumstances.
Secondly, consider creating separate guest lists for the wedding ceremony and reception. This approach can be delicate, especially if some family members are only invited to the reception. However, it allows you to include more people while adhering to COVID-19 restrictions. Typically, couples invite their immediate family to both events, while extending the reception invitation to a broader group.
To maximise the safety and enjoyment of your guests, here are some additional suggestions:
- Provide a dedicated area for children with games and activities to keep them entertained. This could include printable wedding-themed bingo and scavenger hunts, colouring books, crafts tables, and outdoor games if your venue permits.
- Ensure your venue is COVID-19 secure, with measures such as social distancing, guest list record for contact tracing, and compliance with capacity limits.
- Avoid activities that may increase the risk of transmission, such as dancing, and opt for COVID-friendly games like musical quizzes, shoe games, and custom Family Feud using projectors.
By combining clear communication with thoughtful planning, you can ensure that your wedding ceremony is both child-friendly and COVID-safe.
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Frequently asked questions
The number of guests you can invite depends on the venue and local laws. In the UK, for example, COVID guidelines state that weddings can take place in a COVID-19 secure environment, but gatherings in private homes must not exceed 30 people.
To keep your guests entertained, you could organise a couple's quiz, or set up yard games like cornhole, ladder toss, or giant Jenga. If you're expecting bad weather, you could set up the games inside. You could also provide table games like tic-tac-toe, cards, or question starters to spark conversation.
Food trucks are a popular option as they allow caterers to distance from guests. If your venue has an outdoor space, you could set up a few campfires and offer s'mores. It's also a good idea to have assigned seating and servers who can bring plates to each guest at their table.
Due to small guest capacities, it might be best to limit the number of children at your reception. Children are more vulnerable to COVID-19 and may not abide by social distancing regulations. However, a child-free wedding can be difficult for some guests to understand, so it's important to explain your rationale clearly and politely.
