words Al Woods
The year 2020 saw a lot of people quietly shelve dreams that they had spent the whole of 2019 (and often years before) curating. The Covid pandemic laid waste to a lot of plans, and among them there was no small number of dream weddings. With guest lists cut away to nothing, honeymoons out of the question and even receptions made impossible, the pandemic’s hardest days were extra-tough on people who’d planned on making 2020 the year they tied the knot.
While things have been much more open for some time now, it’s understandable if your enthusiasm hasn’t caught up with the changes. A wedding day should be special, and that means a lot of factors need to come together to make it so. Judging whether it’s the right time means considering whether those factors have lined up for you. A few of the questions you might be asking are addressed below, hopefully showing that you can still have that dream wedding.
Can I really have the big wedding I wanted?
Legally, the answer is “yes”, as all restrictions have been stripped away, but you also need to answer the question for yourself. Are you comfortable with a large gathering, and how large can it be? Weddings tend to be generational – is it wise to put your elderly relatives, with their weaker immune systems, into a large group? Most importantly, is the venue still making common-sense adjustments? With large dream venues like Clevedon Hall still operating a Covid-safe policy, you’re well advised to keep in contact with your planners and hosts. Any questions that you have can be answered in full.
Should I go on honeymoon?
Let’s make one thing clear – the pandemic isn’t over until it’s controlled everywhere. The science of mutations and variants makes that an undeniable fact. A major reason for this is that people from a relatively “safe” country can go to another that is experiencing a spike in cases, and come back with an infection, which they can pass on even if they don’t then get ill. Honeymoon plans need to take this into account – you can go for that dream holiday together at any time, so if going there now would risk your health and that of others, why take that risk? Check in advance how your destination is faring, Covid-wise.
Do I want to wait any longer?
In the grand scheme of things, cancelling weddings was not the worst thing people had to deal with during the pandemic, but it certainly wasn’t a happy decision to make. If you’re still not certain that you can have the showpiece wedding you wanted, you might want to ask if it might be best to have at least a scaled-down version. After all, when you know you want to be married, why waste any more time? If you want a larger event but aren’t sure whether it can be done safely, you can always renew your vows with a bigger ceremony at a later time. Prioritise the closest friends and family for the smaller ceremony, and keep the theme intact so it is in keeping with that dream wedding you’ve always wanted.
