Intimate Weddings are the New Normal

Photo courtesy of Philip Cuison Photography

How time flies! It is now the end of the first month of 2021!

The wedding and events industry has experienced a plateau in the past year because of the global pandemic. But the Coronavirus did not stop lovers from tying the knot! Indeed, man's ingenuity is superb!

Humankind always finds a way around things no matter how challenging the times may seem. Truly, the global pandemic affected most businesses, especially the Events industry. Since the virus can be transferred from one person to another, governments around the world restricted conducting events allowed only a very limited number of guests. 

For example, under the leadership of Mayor Inday Sara Duterte of Davao City Philippines, she strictly imposed a 25-guest wedding only. Besides that, the wedding planner or wedding coordinator must comply and secure several government permits before the wedding event. 

Other protocols must be implemented too, including:

• Social distancing at all times 
• frequent hand sanitation
• thermal scanning of each guest including the couple
• wearing of facial masks 
• wearing face shields on the premises
• stepping onto the foot bath at the entrance of the venue

Intimate Weddings are the New Normal

So while the fight against the Coronavirus is ongoing, we should also take part in the battle by adhering to the government and medical advice. But that does not mean we cannot go on celebrating our life milestones. In fact, we can still do both - celebrating life and practicing caution at the same time. 

The thing about weddings is that they're often a gathering of families to celebrate true love. The Pandemic did not take away the love nor the chance of families to gather. Instead, it highlighted the very ones closest to you (the people who will be there for you during worst times) to take part and witness in your union. And it is a beautiful thing to be surrounded by the ones who are willing to be there for you in good or bad times, even sacrifice for your sake. 

That is the pure love of family and friends who have become your family too.

How should you prepare for an intimate wedding?

An intimate wedding is not far from a large grand wedding. In fact, there are very few details that have been modified. Aside from the number of guests you can invite, here are other things you can do to prepare for an intimate wedding during a pandemic:

Plan the date in advance, as far as six to eight months before the wedding. Because of the skeletal workforce, there may be a limited number of wedding schedules at your church. Plus, getting your marriage credentials will also entail ample time from placing your request to the release of legal documents for marriage. 

Research on Intimate Wedding Packages. There are a lot of available intimate wedding packages for you to choose from. In Davao City alone, a staggering 3000+ wedding suppliers are at your disposal. Look for reputable ones with good reviews and a portfolio to show. Shop around at least 3-5 wedding packages and compare their services. Set a meeting with each one to get the feel of how well you work with him/her.

Hire a wedding coordinator. Unless you are willing to line up at government offices to get the necessary event permits, you will need a wedding coordinator to do that for you. A seasoned wedding coordinator knows her craft and can give you valuable insight into different wedding suppliers in the city. You can specify which wedding services will you handle and which wedding services you want the coordinator to work on.

Set up a Wedding Checklist. If you have a wedding coordinator, he/she will assist you with this. But if you plan to do it yourself, the internet is a gold mine of information on a comprehensive Filipino wedding checklist. 

Prepare for COVID Compliance Essentials. It is important that while enjoying your wedding day, you should also set some protocols to ensure the safety of everyone. If you have a wedding coordinator, you can ask them to perform these duties during the wedding ceremony and reception:

1. provide face shields and masks to guests, if necessary
2. prepare a disinfecting foot bath at the entrance of the church or venue
3. perform thermal scanning of each guest, wedding crew, and couple 
4. list all contact details of everyone in the venue, yes, including the waiters, and even the sound technicians. EVERYONE.
5. Spray on hand sanitizers or place a bottle on each table. 

Remember to FIST Bump! Handshakes, kissing, and hugging are so ingrained in all of us that we cannot merely shake it off. But these times are different, we protect our loved ones by distancing ourselves or limiting body contact as much as possible. A fist bump or elbow bump is the best way to give your congratulatory and appreciation to anybody. It just takes getting used to. 

A Wedding Planner's Final Thoughts on This

As a Davao Wedding Planner with a decade of experience, the pandemic has presented a rather different wedding experience. I've handled several intimate weddings during this pandemic and I must say that it isn't all bad what the pandemic has done. 

Brides are no longer stressed out in the wedding planning. Grooms are no longer stressed out on the wedding budget. And the wedding preparations are smooth and calm since there are fewer things and people to manage. 

The bride and groom to be are more relaxed and attuned to their emotions for the wedding and are not distracted by the non-essential things in the wedding. 

I think intimate weddings are the most beautiful celebrations. Truly, less is more. 

Have a happy wedding planning!