Did the global pandemic change your wedding plans?

You are not alone! 

If you’re one of the thousands of couples that have had to re-arrange, postpone and change their wedding plans due to the global pandemic this year, you’re likely disappointed and heartbroken after having to make such a hard decision. We are here to help in the process of moving forward during this pandemic and still having a “not so typical” dream wedding.

Gathering your community and saying “I do” with the love of your life is still possible!

There is still so much love and joy to hold onto right now—- and you can honor your wedding day in a way that celebrates who you and your partner are and the love that you share together.

Here are some tips for creating and planning a beautiful and meaningful virtual wedding ceremony and celebration during quarantine.

1. Make it Legal

Check with your local county clerk: Most government offices are open in different capacities right now, so check in to make sure you can obtain a marriage license.

Confirm your officiant: Check to make sure your officiant is still available. If you’re having a virtual wedding, check with your state to make sure that your marriage would be legal if your officiant is not in the same physical space as you.

2. Going Virtual

One thing quarantine has also taught the world is the beauty of connection through technology.

Determine how virtual you want to get? Are you planning on having all of your guests be online while it’s just you and your officiant and a witness? Or will you have a small guest list and have everyone else be online?

Choose your platform: Zoom, Facebook/IG live, google hangouts, Skype are all great options.

Assign roles: Pro tip: assign someone (not you!) who can be considered a designated technology person for the day that can help with troubleshooting, questions from guests, hold the livestream steady, and field the inevitable “you’re frozen!” comments and connection issues that might arise.

Gather tech supplies: make sure your computer/devices are fully charged and have full internet connection, and do a few test runs. You may also want to check in on some of your more *technology challenged* friends and family members and make sure they know how to tune in!

3. Planning

Invite your guests: Changing to a Virtual Wedding? Resend/send invites virtually, saving you time, energy and stress. At Dash of Pride we have a new line of Custom Virtual Wedding Downloadable Invitations.  The invitations are in PDF format with the capability to have a link that brings your guest to a website.  If you don’t have a website don’t worry - it is not necessary.  All the information can be provided on the invitations. 

Set socially distancing ground-rules: If you are open to being in the same place as your officiant (and guests), consider choosing a quiet outdoor location where you can be physically distant. You may also need a witness to sign your marriage license, so keep this in mind if you want to have one or two people be physically present to see your nuptials.

4. Plan the Fun Parts

Just because your wedding is virtual, doesn’t mean you can’t go all out with creating a perfect space and vibe for your special day! We’ve got a whole line of wedding accessories to add the perfect touch to your wedding style visit Dashofpride.com

Your outfits: whether you already have your wedding attire or you want to get something new and snazzy, now is the time to shine!Plus there’s nothing like an excuse for some online shopping! You could also use a clothing rental store like rent the runway if you want to get really fancy without breaking the bank. Don’t forget to ask your guests to dress up too!

Flowers: Check in with your local florists so they can help you bring your flower dreams to life! Whether its a full scale install in your living room or just a small bouquet, most florists will have some options depending on their levels of operation. If you’re into DIY, you could try reaching out to local flower farmers in your area or plan your essential grocery store trip a day or two before your wedding date and pick up some blooms there.

Rings: If you haven’t already picked out rings, you can check in with smaller jewelers/jewelry retailers or even look at online vintage shops! Don’t have anything right now? Inexpensive or even plastic placeholders will make a good story to pass down for generations.

Cake: YES you should still eat cake! Or your favorite dessert! You can order a small personal sized cake from a bakery, bake one yourself, or order a dozen donuts for contactless pick up from your favorite shop. -Vows: Just because your wedding is virtual, doesn’t mean your vows have to be. You can pick up cute little vow books like these to write down your promises and declarations of love in.

Vows: Just because your wedding is virtual, doesn’t mean your vows have to be. Check the Dash of Pride store for vow books to write down your promises and declarations of love in.

Food & Drinks: If you’re doing an all virtual wedding, you can include a cocktail recipe in your invites, or encourage your guests to have a favorite beverage ready to make a toast to you through the screen! For any people who may in physical attendance of your wedding, make sure to have designated drink cups/plates so no one is sharing, and to have hand sanitizer and hand washing stations ready!

Music: Make a playlist of all your favorite songs and hand them over to your designated tech person to play during the ceremony and afterwards to keep the party going! You can find pre-made wedding playlists on Spotify as well.

Photos: This day, though not the way you originally envisioned it, is still worth having professionally photographed. If your original photographer is not available, you may want to ask them for references or an associate photographer to come out and photograph your ceremony and do a few portraits afterward. If you hadn’t already found a photographer, shop around and find someone who might be in your budget or have virtual/micro-wedding packages.

5. Plan for the Future 

A virtual wedding may not have been your first choice, but you can still make plans for a bigger, in-person celebration down the road, when people can all be together again.

Keep your registry live and accessible, and remind folks that you will still want to have a party at a later date!

Start looking at reception venues or checking in with your original venue to see what dates for next year might be available. Dates are filling up fast with all the postponements of this year, so be proactive!