COVID-19 Wedding Guidelines

NC Wedding Planner Shares How New COVID-19 Guidelines Will Impact Spring/Summer 2021 Weddings

By Meagan Culkin

Meagan Culkin is the owner of Magnolia Collective, a wedding planning and design company based in North Carolina. In this blog, Meagan will explain the latest COVID-19 guidelines for couples planning their 2021 weddings, Magnolia Collective offers services ranging from wedding planning and design, to baking, calligraphy, and event staffing services. Meagan has worked in the wedding industry for 14 years, and has owned and operated Magnolia Collective for the last ten.   

With COVID-19 restrictions lifting in North Carolina, the #1 question we’re getting from couples, friends and fellow vendors is “what does this mean for us?”

The short answer is this: Yes, you can have your wedding this spring or summer, but the guest count may be less than you had originally anticipated, and your guests will still need to wear masks.

From there, a whole myriad of factors come into play. Keep scrolling to find an answer for some of your questions on what these guidelines could mean for upcoming 2021 weddings. 

Groomsmen-in-Masks-Magnolia-Collective-How-New-COVID-19-Guidelines-Will-Impact-Upcoming-2021-Weddings-Kern.
PHOTOGRAPHY Mackenzie Kern Photography | WEDDING PLANNER Magnolia Collective

Do I Need to Postpone My 2021 Wedding?

Let’s talk postponing 2021 weddings. Is it necessary? Is it the right thing to do? While there are many factors that come into play when deciding to postpone your wedding, here are a few things you should consider …

If the majority of your guests are traveling from out-of-state, or even out-of-country, postponement may still be something that you want to consider.  

If one or both partner’s parents are at high risk and wouldn’t be able to safely attend until all guests are vaccinated, it may also be a safer option to postpone.  

Don’t want to postpone? That’s okay! In most instances, venues are able to operate at up to 30% capacity, or up to 250 guests, which allows for the large majority of weddings to move forward safely.

If some guests don’t want to be inside the venue for safety reasons, don’t fret! Get creative and plan other options so that they can still participate, like a drive-thru wedding or virtual streaming! 

As Always, Venue Matters!

Note: If you are planning to have your ceremony at a church, you will need to check with that church’s specific guidelines moving forward. While wedding ceremonies don’t have a guest limit, the church themselves might, and in some cases may not be meeting in person at all right now.

Another important thing to consider is what your 2021 wedding would look like if you are hosting a private residence wedding. Whether ‘hosting at home’ was always the plan, or you had to scramble to make a last minute change and move the celebration to your backyard, COVID-19 policies, such as wearing a mask and encouraging social distancing, still need to be implemented.  

This is because as a private residence, your family is assuming responsibility as the venue hosting an event, and with that, the safety of your guests and vendors. What’s more, most of your vendor team is traveling to different locations each weekend and interacting with other vendors, couples and wedding guests. So, it is for their safety and the safety of others that everyone is wearing masks and staying safe to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Remember, a 2021 Wedding isn’t for Everyone

If you have guests that are still uneasy about attending your 2021 wedding, please know that this is completely normal. Everyone is dealing with COVID-19 as it relates to their families, jobs and personal lives to the best of their ability, and sometimes attending a wedding will create too many issues for them to justify being able to attend safely.

If you’re looking for a way for friends and family who can’t be there with you on your big day to celebrate from home, vendors are there to help you out! Fortunately, many DJs have delved into the world of AV and streaming, and are able to create a virtual experience for friends and family to celebrate with you from afar. While this was our only option a few months ago, I still think that it will be a relevant and valuable resource for couples who want to celebrate with loved ones near and far.

While there is no guaranteed way to ensure guests will avoid exposure to COVID-19, things like enforcing the wearing of masks, providing hand sanitizing stations, practicing social distancing, limiting the number of guests at dinner tables to ‘pods’ or groups of family members who have consistently around one another, serving a plated dinner instead of a buffet, and offering a streaming component for guests who are unable to attend are all ways that we can plan more COVID-19 conscious events moving forward.

Wedding Planner, Meagan-Culkin-Magnolia-Collective-How-New-COVID-19-Guidelines-Will-Impact-Upcoming-2021-Weddings-Robinson.
PHOTOGRAPHER Images by Amber Robinson | WEDDING PLANNER Magnolia Collective

In short, we still don’t have all of the answers, but as an industry we are much better equipped moving into the 2021 wedding season than we were this time last year. If you have a question about moving forward with your COVID-19 wedding and didn’t find the answer here please feel free to reach out by emailing hello@idomagnolia.com

Learn more about Magnolia Collective here!

Looking for more tips on COVID-19 rules and guidelines in North Carolina, click here!

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