As the reality of Coronavirus is sinking in and governments are closing things down and implementing strict isolation measures, couples who have been planning their dream wedding to celebrate with family and friends are now faced with the very grim prospect of having to scale down, cancel, rebook, postpone. Money will inevitably be lost and disappointment, anxiety and stress will be high.

Check the rules in your area

Check to see what the latest information, restrictions, government guidelines are for YOUR area. they will have different rules in place for different countries, states, and so on. This will apply to courthouse and registry offices, are they open, and if closed how long for?

Some may have some services operational and others not. Some may have changed the way they operate. Call or email the relevant legal body for obtaining your marriage license to find out what current rules are in place. In the UK (as an example) 5 people are required to perform a legal marriage. The couple, two witnesses and the officiant. At this time it can't be any fewer than this.

Your chosen guests can still join you via LIVE STREAMING

Thanks to the wonderful world of technology you can now allow your guests to watch online as you say your vows, exchange rings and sign the register and party afterward!

One of your witnesses can be your photographer and the other witness can be your videographer!

Having these two service providers act as witnesses at your wedding, means you'll be creating solid memories with the help of professionals who can capture and record your day.

Know the rules for social distancing

Even with 5 people the isolation and virus protection rules regarding personal space and contact should be adhered to. Make sure all in attendance know what they are. It may be the case the officiant dictates what these should be. Your officiant, Priest whomever is marrying you will not shake hands, kiss the bride, or hand anything to you or accept anything from you. Avoiding contact with each other and items one may transfer the virus to is imperative. If you and your partner are not yet living together you may also want to take the added precaution of limiting physical contact and increasing physical distance. 

If you each live with other people and one of you contracts the virus, you risk spreading it via each other and back to their families. If you're going to be living together afterward however this is different and every situation will be so follow the rules for your area and make the best decisions you can for your self and others.

Consider having the wedding outdoors

If you have the wedding outdoors in an open space, you can more easily keep those distances and hopefully have a great backdrop for your wedding photos. It also avoids the need to sterilize and disinfect everything you might use for decoration or come into contact with. If having the wedding indoors, keep decor to the bare minimum. Have hand sanitizer nearby and use as often as recommended along with handwashing. People with any symptoms or caring for a vulnerable person should (sadly) not be in attendance. The same goes of course for vulnerable people.

Have a blessing, party, reception at a later date when things return to normal

Not having parents and grandparents witness your marriage can be a big blow for you and them, hence the importance for live streaming and recording the event and if possible when things return to normal, have a blessing, reception party at a later date where they can be greatly involved. You may be very unhappy your elderly loved ones can't be there. It is very important (as the over 60's are in the highest risk group) that they do not have any non-urgent contact with anyone who is not themselves uninfected/immune. 

At this point, we don't know who either of those groups are! Follow the Coronavirus advice and protocols for your area.

Brutal isn't it! 

With the Pandemic showing no signs of letting up in time for 2020 weddings to go ahead normally, more and more engaged couples are having to trim their large weddings down to a handful of guests in compliance with their local social distancing Covid19  regulations. It is very sad, but how do you uninvite guests you already invited to the wedding? 

Knowing what to say and how to say it is key to not offending and upsetting people who are very important to you.

Page down for a selection of cards ranging in price from $0.10 (budget range) that allow you to add your own 'sorry you're uninvited' message.  Included in the selection are announcements for postponement, elopement, livestreaming weddings, change of date, cancellations and more. Each one has wording included to act as a guide which you can edit to suit your own unique circumstances. 

Bride and Groom Facemasks

Many couples are wearing facemasks to marry in and their guests either bring their own or the couple provide them. Page down for a range of customizable wedding facemasks that are perfect for bride, groom and their bridal party. The wedding facemasks can be personalized to make them a little less clinical and a little more memorable.

What you need to Live Stream a Wedding

• An internet connection
• Ideally a high-definition camera with a mic to ensure good volume so guests can hear you saying your vows etc.
• A site to host the Livestream.
• Facebook, tweet, email, message the Livestream link to the guest list. Keep it private so the whole world doesn't see it unless of course you want them to!

You can keep your virtual guests informed re the wedding details via one of the many FREE WEBSITE apps that help you to plan, discuss your wedding with guests. You can also set up a social media group via Facebook, Whatsapp, Messenger, etc.

You can still send out save the dates, change the dates, we're doing it, we did it, we're eloping paper/card invitations to add a sense of ceremony to your proceedings and to keep things as normal as possible.

Simply amend your wording to show the website details and details of live streaming and how to log on etc. People unfamiliar with this process (me) will need some guidance regarding that. Hopefully there's a teenager nearby who can help ;) My kids are great at keeping me present and future-proofed!