Planning a wedding is stressful for brides without adding the stress of a pandemic on top of it! Like every 2020 bride, you may be asking yourself, how is this even possible? The answer is yes! We have taken the time to break down any guest facing guidelines and given you some tips and tricks to make the day as seamless as possible.
Venue Capacity
CDC Guidelines: All venues are required to run at 50% capacity with the exception of churches or other religious spaces.
PRO Tip: Cutting your guest count is not ideal, but your guests will understand! Find a friend or service to live stream the wedding for you so your guests won’t miss out. Consider sending guests that can no longer attend a care package such as mini champagne bottles, desserts, and whatever favor you are giving out so they can feel like they are a part of it. Worried about your venue looking too empty? Instead of seating 10 to a table, seat 5-6 and have more tables!
Facial Coverings
CDC Guideline: Masks are strongly encouraged to be worn at all times except when drinking or eating.
Pro Tip: Purchase some disposable masks for guests to grab in case they forget theirs. You can also cute sign made that says something like “spread love not germs” to place next to them. Feeling extra fancy?? Turn the mask into a favor by having cute masks made or making them yourself for your guests that match the wedding theme and/or colors!
Social Distancing
CDC Guideline: Ensure proper spacing by configuring seating arrangements. When not in rows, there should be at least 6 feet of separation between other groups. When in rows, leave at least 2 open chairs between groups. When seated at a table, there should be no more than 10 people sitting at a table.
Pro Tip: Make your guests feel more comfortable by implementing a bracelet system. All guests can pick up a bracelet when they arrive that will say what their comfort level is when engaging with others. For example, red means they are keeping distance, yellow is okay with talking but not touching and green means they are okay with hugs, handshakes, etc. We also recommend seating one family or friend group at each table whenever possible.
Food Service
CDC Guideline: Avoid offering any self-serve food or drink options such as buffets, salad bars and drink stations. Use disposable food service items including utensils and dishes. If disposable items are not feasible or desirable, ensure all non-disposable food service items are handled with gloves and not cross contaminated.
Pro Tip: Have your heart set on a beautiful place setting? Have your planner set a table with the entire set up so you can have your photographer snap some photos.
As mentioned earlier in the post, these are just the guidelines that are guest facing. For a complete list of requirements, restrictions and recommendations, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/considerations-for-events-gatherings.html and https://open.texas.gov/uploads/files/organization/opentexas/OpenTexas-Checklist-Wedding-Venues.pdf