No one expects that 2020 will be hard to live in due to pandemic. COVID-19 becomes a global health crisis that makes the government take serious action to prevent the spreading of this virus. Therefore, all countries around the world decide to limit gatherings and ask society to stay at home. Even, some states choose to lockdown their area for a while. The limitation of gatherings makes some events need to be postponed until an unspecified time. For the engaged couples, who already planned their wedding long before has to upheaval their plan into a virtual wedding.
If it’s possible to postpone the wedding, you can discuss it with your family and contact the vendor for the best decision. However, you still can have a wedding during this pandemic by turning your wedding into a virtual celebration. Take advantage of the technology where you can tie the knot safely by doing live streaming. You still can share the happiness with your loved ones and seeing their reaction on the screen though they can’t attend the wedding in person. When the situation getting better you can have a micro wedding reception later. Yet, before planning an online wedding, here some important things that you have to consider:
Virtual Wedding Checklist
A virtual wedding is a new trend as a wedding alternative during this pandemic. Some couples have no idea what to do and where to start to plan their virtual wedding. Honestly, it might be simpler than you think. So, take some notes because we are going to follow these virtual wedding checklists:
1. Pay Attention to the Date and Time
When it comes to online wedding, be careful about setting the date and time. Avoid busy hours where people doing their business. It will be better if you choose the weekend than a weekday. So, the guest can join the live stream without leaving their job. Also, choose a time that works across multiple time zones.
2. Check the Internet Connection
Internet connection is the most important part. Make sure that you have a strong internet connection because we want to avoid disconnection or lag stream. Test your internet long before to find any issues that might come up. Try some spot at your home that have a stable signal. Therefore, you can handle it smoothly on the big day.
3. Decide Platform
Nowadays there are many free video conferencing that you can choose as your virtual wedding platform. Starting from zoom to Facebook. Since pandemic, zoom gain so much popularities around the world. However, for having a better experience you have to pay for a monthly subscription to can host 100 attendees up to 24hours. If you don’t want to spend more money, try Facebook. You have to create a group and invite the guests to join the private event.
4. Set up a Pretty Backdrop
Set a pretty backdrop as the background for a good impression. You might have a wedding at home, yet you still have to style your wedding by tidying up space, add decorations, or you can use the draping technique to create a visual wall. Personalized wedding backdrops with table, potted plants, balloons, candle, lantern, and others
5. Lighting
Set up your space with good lighting to improve the quality of the video. Mostly, the live streaming platform will reduce the original quality based on the connection and number of viewers. Therefore, you have to boost the quality of the virtual wedding with lighting. If you are hosting a wedding in the daytime, you can use natural lighting by having a stream facing the window. However, for the night ceremony, you can use outdoor wedding lighting ideas such as ring light, floor lamps, and softbox to brighten the space.
6. Send Virtual Invitations
Since we can’t deliver the invitation one by one to the guests. Think of virtual invitations that you can send through email or other online chat apps. Include the invitation with the date and time of your wedding, add instruction in case they don’t know how to use the platform you choose. Don’t forget to prepare a gift to thank the guest by asking your guest to RSVP.
Intimate Micro Wedding Ideas During Pandemic
If the coronavirus pandemic forced you to postpone your wedding to next year, there is a safe way to make your wedding comes true with the micro wedding. Instead of labelling it as reception, go with a romantic dinner. Here simple ideas to plan a micro wedding :
1. Backyard as Venue
The safest place that you can choose to celebrate your wedding in your own home. Take advantage of the backyard if you have enough space to have a garden party. Rent some chair and table as reception seating. Also, the perk of choosing backyard as the venue is you can save your budget and fit the schedule as you wish.
2. Limit the Guest
A micro wedding means you only inviting the family and close friends that special to both of you. The less you invite, the better at this point because we want you to have a safe wedding by following the government rules on gathering. You can mingle with one another and enjoy it privately with the loved ones. Nothing better than that.
3. Minimize the Décor
How to create an appealing venue with minimum decorations? Play with colours! Choose pastel, soft and neutral colour to decorate your space. Combine with greenery and flowers to sweeten the display. Some vintage touches are allowed to simply impress the guest.
4. Safe Seating Arrangement
As the government said, we have to practice social distancing in the crowd. So, it is important to set up seating by grouping the guest. As safe wedding seating arrangement ideas, set the chair in distance to allow the guest to have their own space. Some said that the round seating arrangement is the best for practising social distancing. Let the family have dine together in one spot, and you can create a sweetheart table as a private space for both of you.
5. Single-Served Food
It is important to keep everyone safe during the wedding. Therefore, you can ask the caterer to design a single-serve menu. For the food, you can serve it on one plate starting from the appetizer to dessert. In this case, you don’t need to create a bar or food station because we avoid queues that cause a crowd. Better if you hire a waiter to hand the food and drink one by one to the guest.
6. Sanitizing Station
Last but not least, always put safety first. Give the guest a free mask and create a spot where you provide sink with soap and tissue or hand sanitizer to clean the hands before and after the guest entering the reception area.
