2020 and the covid-19 pandemic have shaken up the wedding industry. According to research conducted by the major wedding websites, approximately 90% of the weddings scheduled for last year had to be postponed or cancelled. Only about 30% of couples scheduled to wed after March 2020 decided to move forward with their plans, but in an adjusted format. What does that mean? It means that 2021 is going to be the busiest wedding year ever! Here is what you need to know if you are planning a wedding now:
CONNECT WITH VENDORS
As soon as you are done popping a bottle of your favorite champagne and savoring your engagement, rush into the world of wedding planning. First thing you should do is to contact the vendors and select your venue, florist, baker, photographer, etc. Just like many popular wedding destinations, vendors are booking very quickly this year. Also, make sure to educate yourself on available options. In order to survive the pandemic, vendors had to become more creative in their offerings. Ever thought of live streamed weddings? Doughnut walls? Home delivered cake tastings or virtual property tours? This is what you can expect or request this year.
BE OPEN MINDED AND FLEXIBLE
Be aware that there are millions of couples doing what you are doing right now, so resources might me limited. In addition, a lot of couples who decided to move forward with their ceremonies last year, are on the market looking for a reception venue and eager to celebrate their marriage with their loved ones. Give yourself time to plan, or expect to be flexible with your expectations. Dates, especially on the weekends are booking fast so the date you had in mind may no longer be an option. Venues that you might have had in mind may also be booked, so be creative and adapt your expectations to demand.
INCLUDE SAFETY MEASURES
Some believe that with vaccination available, the Covid-19 pandemic is coming to an end. However, we do recommend be on the safe side and make safety measures a part of your special day. In the least, plan to have sanitizing stations at your event. Research shows that many couples are still deciding to encourage socially distant layouts, or limit the guest count on their wedding day. Couples are often changing their food plans and opting for served meals rather than having open buffets, others are providing keepsake masks for their guests.
UPCOMING WEDDING TRENDS
The truth is, we do not know what the weddings will look this year. If 2020 taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected, and to be flexible and creative. It seems though, that most couples adapted a “My Wedding, My Way” philosophy, and that basically means doing it however you want to. Pandemic has forced us to change our expectations a bit, but not necessarily for the worse. Couples no longer take weddings for granted, so they want to live it up and make it really special …
Here are 6 emerging trends:
- Mid-week Weddings – as we have mentioned, 2021 is considered the busiest wedding year. Many couples decided to schedule their special day during the week for various reasons. Most of the time – it is due to space availability, or rather lack of it on the weekends. Not to mention – mid-week weddings are more affordable, and since the pandemic had a financial impact on many families, this is just a better option now.
- Intimate Events – while we all love to be surrounded by family and friends on the most important day of our lives, this year couples are choosing to host more intimate weddings with just around 70-100 people. Weddings are becoming less complex. After many couples had to completely change their plans in 2020 and rearrange their wedding entirely, we have seen that couples are taking a more minimalist approach to wedding planning. Instead of feeling pressured to do everything, couples have begun to only include aspects that truly hold value and meaning to them and their families. This allows them to have a more personable experience.
- Sequel Weddings – did you know that close to 40% of couples getting married at the Pines Resort this year are already married?! In addition to newly engaged couples, we are scheduling weddings for couples who are already married, but did not get to have their reception last year. We are also booking couples who are trying to make their first wedding anniversary into the big party that they never had.
- Outdoor Weddings – while many states are waiving all restrictions at this point, just to be on the safe side couples are opting in for an outdoor ceremony and reception these days.
- Assigned seating – “pick a seat, not a side, we are all family after the knot is tied” may no longer be the thing this year. To limit personal interactions, couple are returning back to assigning seats and tables to same family members so everyone can feel more comfortable.
- Domestic Destinations – with many borders still being very restrictive and requiring testing or limiting travel to essential business only, more couples are deciding to find local destinations to host their special day.
WEDDINGS AT THE PINES
We are hosting and booking a record number of weddings this year. Along with the predicted trends – just about half of our couples are already legally married and eager to celebrate with their loved ones. Our Sales Team: Randi Miller, Nicholas Bends, and Diane Brown are here to assist you and help make your vision a reality, whatever you may have in mind.
We are offering a 20% off Wedding Package Special for mid-week weddings in the Fall and Winter. Reach out to request a quote and receive a proposal.
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Good article. I’m dealing with some of these issues as well..