In the wedding world, 2020 will definitely be viewed as the year of newness. It is out of necessity mainly, but also as a result of fringe trends that have been bubbling to the surface in the age of wanting more privacy and less exposure. The Covid-19 virus has squashed all social gatherings for the current time and has forced couples to decide if they want to get married on their original date or postpone to a much later date that may feel safer for them. At the same time we live in a day and age where our online presence has become a competition of sport, and one’s sacred wedding day has become a social challenge for popular opinion for wins to be better than others over being authentic to themselves.

I am heartbroken on the state of the wedding community at this current moment. So many couples are feeling lost without valid or attainable options and so many vendors are sitting watching their financial health dwindle by the day. The virus surges yet no one in this equation wins. The hopeful bride and groom/bride and bride/groom and groom hurts for their lost dreams and their lost investments, and the hardworking wedding professionals count the days down to when they meet the ultimate fate of shuttering their business over loss of any income. The virus pushes on at the expense of all.

For those of you who are able to continue your original plans for 2020 I send kudos to you. Guest counts and protection measures all hinder the movements of our day and if you are able to navigate that landscape to realize your wedding then that is an amazing feat, and I celebrate you. For most, though, they are quickly realizing that government restrictions and venue/vendor precautions are hindering their ability to host a gathering in a way that feels normal and special to them. So they are forced with the need to pivot.

But what does pivoting look like? Do you upheave everything and move both your ceremony and your reception to 2021 or beyond? Do you grasp hold to a semblance of your original plan and hold a mini ceremony on your original 2020 wedding date and host the party in 2021? Or do you forge ahead with your 2020 plans as is – or with slight variations – and hope that we will be in a different space in 2 or 3 or 4 months from now?

So where do we go from here? With all storms there is always light at the end of the tunnel. There is always a beam of hope in a sea of darkness. And if we are all strong enough we will weather this storm and enjoy the warmth of sunshine on the other end. I have been advising my couples according to their wedding dates and what I am seeing in the industry for what other couples are doing in their time frame. I will continue to update this blog and my socials so everyone is in the loop on where things stand for me, my staff, and my clients. I can’t predict the future and I don’t have a crystal ball but I will always do everything I can to keep you all informed, and advise my couples in how I see fit.

Stay safe and well everyone! Much love!!

Shannon