First off, let me say that I realize that not everyone is able to carry on with a small ceremony in the wake of Covid due to a range of reasons. However if you are able and considering it, I’ve come up with a short list of the top reasons why small ceremonies rock and adapted it into 6 reasons to celebrate your Covid affected wedding date with a small ceremony anyway!
A lot of my couples are planning to move their big parties to next year but are still opting for a small ceremony on their original date. I know that having to do this can be a bit of a bummer especially if you were planning a big bangin’ party but here are my top 6 reason why I love the idea of still celebrating your wedding date with a small ceremony if you are able:
The benefits of VIP only guest list
One of the most stressful wedding planning factors is the guest list. It will of course depend on when and where you get married but the current regulations allow for gatherings of under 10 people. Hopefully by late summer or fall that number might be able to increase a bit but having just your closest family or friends there to witness your ceremony can be incredibly special and hopefully less stressful.
There’s no rushing around to make sure that you say hi and thank you to every single table and instead you get to spend good quality time with not only your small VIP list but also your brand new spouse.
Another factor is that everyone in this small VIP group will be fully present for your ceremony, no bored distant cousins or plus ones you don’t even know. The energy of small ceremonies is something magical in my opinion.
Oh and let us not forget that if your VIP ceremony is now outside you can easily include more dogs are your VIP guests, just sayin.
2. You get to make your own ceremony rules
If you’ve followed my work for a while or worked with me before then you know that I’m a big fan of encouraging couples to do whatever they want. While I’m not knocking the traditional - if traditional wedding plans are your jam - do you and it will be the day of your dreams! I’m just saying that there are a lot of folks out there that never considered themselves to be “wedding people” because many of us grew up with a certain notion of what weddings were supposed to be. I hope that I’m not the first to tell you that in general - weddings can be whatever the heck you want them to be like!
This is especially true if you now find yourself planning a small ceremony on your original date if Coronavirus interfered with your plans. You can make your ceremony into more of what you wanted. Maybe it’s more personal with reading your own vows or incorporating more readings or activities that are really reflective of you as a couple.
If your original ceremony venue is no longer an option, the great news is you can have a small ceremony in many locations, at no cost and at pretty much any time of day that you’d like!
A backyard, either yours or someone on the VIP lists is a great option especially as we wait to see how public outdoor spaces reopen.
The city has a lot of beautiful outdoor spaces that you could hold a quick “renegade” like ceremony easily with a small group of people as long as you aren’t projecting any noise. There are a lot of beautiful spots along the lakefront parks including Promontory Point that could be taken advantage of if they reopen it soon. Other favorites include Humboldt Park and Ping Tom Memorial Park.
If you and your crew are outdoorsy and can find a remote location where camping is possible a camping wedding could be a real dream.
You could also always do an indoor at home ceremony if you or a loved one has the space for it.
*Bonus tip: some places of worship are still preforming marriages for groups of less than 10
3. You can relax and wear whatever you want
If you are able to still get your hands on your original wedding garments and still want to wear them I say 100% go for it! But you could also save them for your plans later on and instead go with a more unique choice for your small celebration. Maybe you have a funky vintage piece that didn’t feel right for your original ceremony but you’d love to rock it now or maybe you’d like to fully embrace quarantine life and rock matching sweats for your ceremony (I truly saw this on Instagram recently). Maybe you get married in swimsuits at a lake in the woods? Maybe you can now feel comfortable to include your favorite jacket and boots into your wedding outfit? Most people are usually pretty excited about their wedding dress or other wedding appeal choices but in the off chance that you aren’t jazzed about what you had planned now is the time to embrace another option!
4. You can add in other activities
The best part of a small celebration is that you no longer have to plan on a traditional wedding structure and with a small group you can do so many fun unique things to celebrate instead. Maybe you opt for a picnic in the park, maybe you can go for a dip in a lake, maybe you can have a game night instead. You could do a brunch plan instead or even host it in the evening and just go for snacks and homemade cocktails. Y The possibilities are endless!
5. Let love win
This is hands down the most important reason to still celebrate with a small ceremony if you can. While getting to change the rules and personalize your day even more is awesome, continuing through and marrying the love of your life despite a global pandemic is extremely beautiful if you ask me. If you’re still able to carry on with a small ceremony this act of romantic resilience is something that you will always remember. It’s also a great reminder to yourself and loved ones that love is always present even in the darkest of times.
6. You can document this weird time and still support some of your vendors
Ok this one is a little selfish of me, but as a photographer who considers themselves a documentarian; I think that it’s important to still document your small ceremony. It’s still an important day where you commit to the love of your life but also how interesting will it be to look back on those photos in the years to come and look at your spouse and say, “Hey remember when we got married during a global pandemic?”.
I’m obviously a huge fan of documenting life’s moments, big and small. However, besides having a photographer there to document your small ceremony you can also still support a range of vendors if you're able to or would like to.
Again depending on your location and date your options might vary but here are some ideas on ways you could still incorporate your vendors:
Hire a photographer to document the day
Work with a planner to plan your small ceremony or laidback wedding day (so that it’s truly laid back)
Order a bouquet or flowers for decor from your florist
Get a small wedding cake or pie or whatever you want to go with- made still from your baker
Get your hair and make up done still if that’s something you’re comfortable with and able to do at the time of your wedding
Consult your DJ or band about music options if you’re at a loss on what to do
Hire a videographer to record it to show later at your celebration next year or to help set up a fancy live stream
See if your catering company would be able to provide a small meal for your VIP celebration
I hope that this was helpful if you find yourself currently trying to work out new wedding plans
This whole COVID-19 rescheduling situation sucks but at the end of the day what matters most are our loved ones. If you feel that you can continue with a small ceremony this year in a safe way to celebrate your love then I say go for it! If you are looking for a wedding photographer that has experience with photographing intimate ceremonies, get in touch with me! I have a ton of fun ideas and I’m also running specials for those who have been affected by the pandemic.
