Initiate backup wedding plans! We repeat. Initiate backup wedding plans! Sadly, no wedding planners or anxiously-awaiting engaged couples could have seen what was coming from a mile away. No amount of Pinterest planning could save us from what has happened to the 2020 wedding season. It’s currently June, which means normally, we’d have every weekend this month booked with at least one couple tying the knot. Imagine: Perfectly-planned ceremonies would be followed by jovial wedding receptions. The cake would be cut, the champagne would be poured, and the dance music would ring through the thick Texas air through to the morning hours. That was the plan for many folks this summer, but the current state of affairs has thrown a serious curveball for any of those who planned their “I dos” for this summer.
Nobody deserves more to be a little bit “Bridezilla” than the COVID-19 engaged couples get to be. After all, that time planning the best day of your life, your dreams have been dashed by a national pandemic. Venues are being shut down, caterers are bowing out, and your guests are all locked up safely in their homes. This is not an ideal time to celebrate anything, but we’ve got some advice for those who planned to tie the knot and plan to keep it that way. After all – you’ve waited long enough. You really only need one other person to participate anyway, right?
Be Flexible
We know, we know. It’s like being told to “calm down” at the peak of an argument. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MAGICAL. But here we are. We know it’s painful to hear, but one of the best ways you’ll survive tying the knot during “COVID-19 Wedding Season” is by being flexible. Yes, you’ve dreamt of this day your whole life. But maybe this is also a blessing in disguise. Maybe you were meant to celebrate with a smaller crowd, spending less money on a big affair, and really getting down to what’s important about this event: you and your boo. Understand that vendors are under a tremendous amount of stress as business owners, too. As tempting as it may be to lose your cool on a venue owner or vendor for “ruining” your day, remember that their lives are in turmoil as well. Being flexible and kind can get you A LOT during a time of panic. You never know if that kindness will warm up the heart of someone, opening a new door for another opportunity that could be just as magical.
Overcommunicate
Hey, you’re going to have to do this in marriage anyway, right? Practice overcommunication with your wedding planner, guests, family members, and even spouse while you adjust all of your plans for your big day. Your close family is likely having to deal with changes of their own, and may not be able to accommodate your wants and needs for your big day, so give them time to make plans by communicating what you can, when you can. Guests will likely want to purchase gifts from your registry, even though there may not be a big table to put all of those goodies on at a reception. Don’t be shy about creating a website or Facebook event for your wedding, with updates on changes. It will help everyone (including you) feel involved and in control of an out-of-your-hands situation.
Plan for the Future
This whole ordeal will likely be a lesson hard-learned for everyone involved. Planning for the future can be time-consuming, and sometimes downright boring, but if COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that accidents and unfortunate events are lurking around the corner. Sit down with your soon-to-be-spouse to discuss what’s to come in the days following your wedding day, including anything COVID-19 will likely continue to affect. Discuss career, home, and family decisions and plan for both good and bad. You’ll probably start to realize that all of this isn’t really even about the ribbons and flowers and cake anyway. Sharing your life with someone, for better and for worse, for sickness and in health, really means working through life’s tough situations with your best friend, forever.
SOGO Insurance is here for you, no matter what comes your way. We cover the scale from wedding insurance, to life insurance, and we’re here to discuss your options with you. Let us take the stress out of planning for the future by offering the best policy and premiums for exactly what you need.
In case you missed it: “Four Places to Go Fishing With Dad” has a San Antonio-based list of COVID-19-friendly fishing places to spend your socially distant, but sweet, Father’s Day with any father-figure in your life. Send us pics of what you caught, and remember that at SOGO, we’re family. We’re here looking out for you, and always will.
