Are decorative masks the newest family wedding heirloom?

Wedding dresses and veils have been passed down within families for generations. But as a new, necessary accessory becomes a staple in wedding fashions around the world, will decorative wedding masks become the next wedding heirloom?

It’s an interesting thought, brought up during a recent interview with Seattle-based wedding photographer and all around creative badass, Jenny GG. She sees a lot of stylish newlyweds in her line of work, and nearly all of them are putting energy and thought into their wedding day masks. 

It’s not surprising. While the coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic have turned the wedding industry on its collective head, creative vendors and innovative couples have continued to make beautiful, joyful weddings happen.

Couples are still getting married, as our recent surveys confirm, by working with wedding officiants to craft smaller and safer ceremonies. One of the most important parts of wedding day safety is mask wearing, but there’s absolutely no need to do it without style and personal flare. 

And so, the decorative wedding mask was born, taking on a festive, bedazzled, sequined, satined, classically hued, and colorful life of its own. 

As Jenny points out, this is a powerfully unique time in our lives. When today’s couples tell their future children about their wedding day, or when friends gather to celebrate anniversary parties and rescheduled receptions in the year to come, they’ll hold up photos of these once-in-a-life-time ceremonies and say, “Remember when?” 

Instead of finding ways to make these modern ceremonies look like ceremonies of the past, we can embrace them in their uniqueness. 

Nearlyweds of future generations will hopefully no longer have the need for masks at their ceremony. But we’ve always sought creative ways to alter and incorporate vintage accessories and keepsakes into our modern wedding outfits, in ways that don’t always align with their original purpose — sewing handkerchiefs and photos into jackets and linings, breathing new life into lockets, pendants, and barrettes, and tucking ties and patches from dress shirts into pockets as good luck charms. 

Masks as heirlooms could offer a touching reminder to future generations of the ways love triumphs over the challenges of an era. 

So as you plan your wedding ceremony in the coming months, consider choosing masks that make you and your partner (and your wedding party!) feel safe and comfortable... as well as fashionable. 

For more help planning a ceremony that’s fun, full of people you love, and safe during the winter months, read some of the other articles we’ve written for couples and wedding officiants:

• The Wedding Officiant’s Guide to Planning a Minimony
• From Seasonal Masks to Extra Mics: 5 Things Officiants Can Do Right Now to Prepare for Fall & Winter Wedding Ceremonies
• 7 Tips for a Stress-Free & Socially Distanced Wedding Ceremony
• Butt-bumps and gift baskets, 6 ways friends and family can keep their distance while showering a newly-wed couple with love