Options include clear top tents, walled tents, climate-controlled tents, and much more.
What’s in Store For Post-COVID
Weddings & Events
Article + Courtesy of Delores Crum, Party Time Rentals
While COVID concerns might make wedding planning more challenging and complicate your celebration, COVID can’t stand in the way of true love!
Even a Pandemic can’t keep a happy couple, their family, and their friends from enjoying every moment of this most special day. You can have the wedding of your dreams, and celebrate safely and responsibly, if you’re thoughtful and properly prepared. Nothing truly important need change for you or your guests – a magical wedding evening, even with masked celebrants and bystanders, is just as meaningful and amazing.
Here are some things to keep in mind when planning your wedding’s décor and design:
GATHERING SIZE RESTRICTIONS + SOCIAL DISTANCING PROTOCOLS
Though the rules are ever-changing, as this article is written, indoor wedding venues are authorized to operate at 50% capacity. Outdoor capacity is unrestricted (save for the statewide 500 person without mayoral approval limit). For everyone’s protection, observing social distancing protocols is essential – even when you haven’t seen Aunt Gracie since you were 10, hugged Cousin Charlie since high school, or seen your college roommate since graduation. Unless a table is occupied by members of the same “family unit”, remember too that the 6’ spread apart rule is recommended and no more than 6 seats per table are allowed.
What can you do if your venue’s indoor area isn’t sufficient for the number of guests you were hoping for?
Consider tenting to expand the available space. Perhaps your dance floor or entertainment, specialty bar or lounge area can be moved to a tented environment. Tenting is a lovely option any time of year, and a particularly welcome event addition when protection from the elements, be they sun and heat or light rain and a chill in the air, is in order. For seating restrictions, 66” or 72” round tables (rather than the standard 60” round size) can help. These larger options allow for proper distancing and comfortably seat 6 non-family unit guests. Some seating plans benefit from smaller 48” round tables (seating 6) for family units. Even without COVID concerns, mixing table sizes adds interest to the wedding setting. An event planner or event rental professional can help create a COVID-friendly layout, just as they did before COVID was a consideration and will after COVID is but a memory.
HAVE FUN WITH MASKS, GLOVES, AND HAND SANITIZER
Masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and social distancing will likely be with us through the year, and perhaps beyond. If you’re of the opinion that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, be creative in designing attractive and interesting reception masks for the wedding couple and wedding party. Make this element a part of the evening’s décor – and of the fun. Incorporate masking into the motif, or offer a “touchless” mask embellishment station. Wear elegant Gatsby-style gloves for glamor and for protection. Have basic PPE (disposable masks and gloves, hand sanitizing stations) available and encourage your guests to use them. Twenty-five years down the road, when you’re celebrating your Silver Wedding Anniversary, you’ll have the best wedding stories ever . . . even if your children (and maybe grands) do have a hard time understanding the “mask thing”.