AMERICAN WEDDINGS BLOG
Stay up to date with the latest wedding ceremony trends, script writing inspiration, tips and advice for first-time officiants, and news that matters to couples and wedding ministers.
Stay up to date with the latest wedding ceremony trends, script writing inspiration, tips and advice for first-time officiants, and news that matters to couples and wedding ministers.
Published Monday, Nov. 23rd, 2020
Not sure how to plan a wedding during the coronavirus? Having trouble deciding what kind of modified ceremony is right for you? Embrace your quirks, celebrate your strengths... and turn to the stars!
From shift weddings to drive-ins, here’s a lighthearted look at how every starry-eyed member of the zodiac can plan a safe and festive wedding ceremony or reception during the upcoming COVID-19 wedding seasons.
(Don’t like your sign’s plan? Borrow someone else’s. We won’t tell. Be safe, follow your local public health guidelines closely, and have fun.)
You like to carefully pick and choose who you get close to and what activities you do, so creating a small guest list is kind of second nature to you. And yes, you have a hands-on approach, a clear vision for what you want on your wedding day, and crazy-high standards, but it’s not selfish by any means… You just want to make sure everyone has an incredible time.
So why not plan an exclusive minimony? Minimonies are intimate, cozy, private, and selective. They’re perfect for cultivating the sense that something really special is happening between a chosen few, and you’ll be able to pay closer attention to the small touches and precious interactions the day. This is especially important for someone like you, because you’re already plenty busy as it is.
(Officiants and couples, read The Wedding Officiant’s Guide to Planning a Minimony)
You don’t follow trends, you set them. You love turning up the charm, but you also love keeping people on their toes by making unexpected choices. And although you insist on originality in wedding planning, you still enjoy vintage touches and historical accents that pay homage to your culture and traditions, giving your modern wedding a classic feel.
Hold a handfasting at a meaningful location! Handfastings are steeped in history and tradition, but they have so many options for personalization that they are effortlessly unique. Pair your handfasting with a special location, like a historical outdoor landmark or a centuries old church with high ceilings and big widows that allow for adequate social distancing and ventilation to keep friends safe, and then turn your cord or ribbon into a new family heirloom.
(For inspiration planning a handfasting, read about one Pagan couple’s Year and a Day handfasting ceremony, and how another couple combined handfasting with a virtual ceremony.)
You, dear Pisces, are an emotional, artistic, and creative soul. And although it’s not practical, it’s true that you have a tendency to live in your feelings and often have no interest in ‘reality.’ You’ve been careful during the pandemic, but being careful doesn’t mean you aren’t still a dreamer! Luckily you’re creative too, and capable of doing whatever’s needed to make your dreamiest wedding happen.
Plan a livestreamed bash with professional videographers. Your day will feel like something right out of a movie, almost literally… your own personal rom-com streamed into your friends’ and family’s livingrooms. Livestreamed weddings allow for elaborate, lush day-of ceremonies, with guests able to watch you celebrate safely from anywhere. And because good videographers make sure no detail gets missed, you experience the day over and over for years to come.
(Read Microphone Tips for Officiants and Couples to make sure your custom ceremony and vows are heard by online guests. Haven’t attended or performed a livestream wedding yet? Read Skype, Zoom, Livestream: Virtual Weddings Defined.)
Craving lots of well-earned attention and affection from those you love on your wedding day? Determined to have the unique and beautiful wedding of your dreams? On the lookout for a responsible loophole or strategy to make it happen? Of course! You’re stubborn, but fair. And you’re a hundred percent motivated to make great things happen for those you love the most.
Plan a shift wedding. Shift weddings, where two or more sets of guests stop by in rotation during different parts of the day, are a clever way to expand your guest list (and maximize the love and attention you deserve) while still following social distancing and gathering size recommendations. Shift weddings take more preparation and planning than smaller, simpler ceremonies, and you might need to gather some information from your guests to get them into their groups so be patient. All the work will be worth it to help keep your friends and family safe during a full day of fun.
(Officiants, read What is a shift wedding? How engaged couples are keeping their guest lists.)
You’re set on being comfortable, no matter what. You love lush textures, decadent foods, and style, style, style, even if it’s not conventional. And sure, you’re moody sometimes, but it’s only because you’re passionate about what you like! Luckily there are only a few things you’re really adamant about managing on your wedding day… comfort, food, decor, and clothes…
Have a glammed-out outdoor wedding! You’ll be able to soak in the luxurious beauty of an emerald green forest, crisp snow-capped patio, or turquoise beachfront while saying ‘I do.’ Follow it up with small tables spread far apart and individual portions and desserts, for decadent outdoor reception that’s safe and comfy.
(To feel extra cozy and comfortable, read 7 Tips for a Stress-Free & Socially Distanced Wedding Ceremony.)
Secretly worried you won’t have the chance to enjoy delicious wedding drama, family debates, and gossip between guests? Hoping for a little mischievous energy and surprise on your wedding day? It’s true that coronavirus-era weddings lack a little… spontaneity. Options are more limited. But endless options also make it much harder for you to actually settle on a decision… So maybe a few restrictions are also kind of a blessing?
With a microwedding, you get the best of both worlds! Following guidelines on guest list sizes, venues, and social distancing will help narrow your overwhelming options into a few that are easier to choose from, but this festive in-person event ensures there’s still plenty of opportunity for spontaneity, amusing stories, entertaining mishaps, and excitement… just on a smaller scale.
(Read Have You Considered a Micro Wedding?)
What's your sign? Star-powered inspiration awaits.
Cancer, you deep and secretly sensitive creature… this responsible isolation and constantly changing list of guidelines and pivoting plans are really getting to you, aren’t they? It’s been bumming you out, even if you’re trying not to ruin anyone’s day by showing it.
Recharge your soul with a casual minimony! Surrounded (at a safe distance) by only those closest to you, you’ll be able to replenish those feelings of affection and connectedness you crave without having to deal with the fuss and risks of a larger ceremony. Minimonies are a chance to keep things simple and sweet. No need for catered foods or fancy decor... Afterall, your wedding day is about you and your partner, your love, and the one or two people who have contributed most to your joy along the way.
(Officiants and couples, read The Wedding Officiant’s Guide to Planning a Minimony.)
You’re crushed that your wedding day is no longer going to be a larger-than-life, epic demonstration of love and there’s no reason to deny it. Weddings should be all about you… and your partner, and your love together, of course. You both deserve to be showered with affection, dammit! Sharing the spotlight isn’t your style (even if you’re sharing it with a pandemic).
You need a hybrid wedding with a drive-by reception. Celebrate boldly, but safely, with a handful of impressively dressed in-person guests, a limitless crowd of online guests, and as close to a parade as you can safely expect right now! Go big or go… no, nevermind. Just go big (safely).
(Read The more the merrier! Why hybrid weddings are a good idea.)
You sweet, loveable perfectionist, you’ve done an excellent job of holding it together so far, even if you can’t say as much for those you know. Your eye for detail and organization, and your love of to-do lists, means you’ve kept up remarkably well with planning so far… If only other people and events would cooperate!
Plan on celebrating outdoors at a professional venue. Not only does a pro venue ensure that details and plans are executed correctly (and that surfaces are spotless), an open air setting also ensures everyone stays as healthy as possible. Turning to professionals instead of asking friends and family to help will also lessen stressful interactions between you and your family as you plan, and give you a chance to focus on other things, like enjoying the day.
(To streamline things even more, read How to Work Best With Your Wedding Officiant.)
Half the fun of the wedding is the party! The stylish setting, the festive energy, the mingling, the shoulder rubbing, the charming banter and jokes. Sure, you’ve accepted there won’t be much (or any) shoulder rubbing at your wedding, but no mingling at all? Absolutely unacceptable.
Host a backyard family wedding. By choosing a private setting, you have full control over the style and decor, allowing you to personalize every detail. And holding the ceremony and reception outside with only family and friends means there will be room to spread out safely for backyard dancing, laughing, joking, and picnic-style snacking. Just because your conga line is spaced six-feet apart doesn’t mean it won’t still be a blast.
(Read Can’t book a wedding venue? Consider a micro-wedding, or backyard wedding ceremony instead! to get started.)
Your wedding day has to be passionate, up-close, and intense, just like your love. So what if the world insists on distance? You can make this work, because when it comes to demonstrating your love, you aren’t about to hold back. And when it gets right down to it… who needs the rest of the world anyway?
Elope! All you really need for an intensely personal and romantic ceremony is you, your partner, and a wedding officiant to keep things legal and binding. Elopements can happen anywhere, too, so you can easily combine your tiny elopement ceremony with a low-key and safe honeymoon… like a romantic camping or backpacking in the woods, or an RV road trip to visit some of your region's most beautiful destinations.
(Find out if you’ll need a witness to join your elopement.)
You love your time alone, but even selfcare and solitude have their limits, right? You want your wedding day to be a grand event! Something social, a memorable and unconventional celebration that will have people talking for years.
Have a drive-in wedding! Turn your wedding into something flashy, fun, adventurous, and ambitious. There’s no reason not to, because you know you can handle it. So reserve or rent a large field or parking area, set up a stage just the way you like it, and get your vows up on a big screen for all your friends and family to see. Give them a show! And then, later, you and your love can slink away for a little more romantic solitude.
Become a Wedding Officiant with Our Free Online Ordination!