The Impact of COVID-19 on Weddings

Planning a wedding can be stressful – even under the best of circumstances. Invitations. Table settings. But what happens when your wedding falls during pandemic? If you’re confused about what comes next – you’re not alone.

 Like nearly every sector of the economy that relies on people getting together in large groups, the wedding industry has been particularly hard on weddings. With CDC recommendations to limit gatherings of more than 10 people and widespread social distancing efforts, many weddings have been cancelled, rescheduled, or – in beautiful displays of love – moved online.

But these are temporary solutions to a long-term problem. probably of how weddings and events will adapt in the COVID-19.

As a wedding planner in Los Angeles who has helped plan events of all kinds -- from small weddings in a family’s backyard to celebrity weddings covered by People Magazine  --I thought that I had seen it all. Fire seasons that destroyed venues sometimes days before a wedding, last-minute break-ups have upended year-long plans, and family drama that could provide a writer’s room with enough content to write a ten-season soap opera.

But now, with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the wedding industry is facing a new kind of challenge unlike any other.

Weddings During COVID-19

Looking ahead, there’s no doubt that weddings are going to change in many ways. And I’m not just talking about virtual weddings or limiting capacity. 

 First off, once we return to in-person events, I expect that couples will want to take a variety of precautionary steps to guarantee everyone’s safety. At first, I think we'll see a lot of masks at our first few weddings (maybe they'll be a fashion accessory a la fascinators?!) and fewer guests (regardless of health guidelines). With that shrinking guest list, I expect that families will have to think critically about how to include those who are higher risk – be it the elderly or people with pre-existing conditions – or have to travel long distances to attend.

Guestlist Reductions

When planning for a potential guest count pre-COVID, I would suggest planning for a 10% attrition. Post-COVID, especially in the early months, I think it will be closer to 30%.

As a result of lower guest counts, I see a shifted focus onto more intimate, upscale gatherings. The weddings I plan typically average about 150 guests. Moving forward, at least into the immediate future, I foresee that average dropping to fewer than 100 guests. With that shift, I can see couples spending more money on catering and bar services per guest than I’ve seen in recent years. Couples will have more money to spend per guest and I think there will be an emphasis on intimacy and treating their closest friends and family to an unforgettable dining experience.

I also think invitation lists will shrink. If it was hard getting a “plus one” added as your guest in the past, it’s going to be even harder now – so don’t ask. Wedding invitations will be reserved for the couple’s most inner circle.

Guest lists aren’t the only thing that will be disrupted.

Decreased Vendor Availability

Disruption to the floral market and event supply chain will significantly impact the way we think about design. Last year, we already saw a  natural trend toward dried flowers as decor and also a trend toward incorporating flowers into desserts (like these cookies by the pressed flower goddess, Loria Stern). However, it looks as if this trend is here to stay, thanks to disruptions in the supply chains for fresh flowers. Our longtime friend and Los Angeles florist, Megan McCarter of The Little Branch, says there will undoubtedly be a long term impact on flower availability. Mayesh, a wholesale florist serving the Los Angeles area, has been focusing on sourcing from local growers more and more. With the uncertainties ahead, it makes most sense to focus locally for the foreseeable future. 

Our in-house event designer, Jamie Giancola, sees the disruptions in supply chains and lack of available resources as a potential opportunity for wedding designers to get extra creative. She feels that a lack of resources is the “birthplace for creativity” and she’s looking forward to pushing herself toward creating some extraordinarily unique designs for our couples that are faced with limitations to which flowers and rentals they can use.

Shift Toward Local Weddings

Additionally, our team feels there will be a larger trend toward sourcing items locally, above and beyond wedding day flowers. Not all wedding vendors will survive the financial downfalls related to COVID-19; however, the ones who are smart with resources and have the strongest abilities to salvage and create will come out of this strong. We look forward to seeing a larger trend toward environmentally friendly wedding planning and look forward to collaborating with our clients on ideas for saving costs and resources while planning a beautiful and meaningful event.

Rescheduled Wedding Dates

In speaking with our couples that were previously planning Spring and Summer 2020 weddings, I’m repeatedly hearing that, when they’re able to hold their event, they want to scale down the formality of their wedding day. For examples, one of our couples feels that it’s almost tasteless to throw a wedding in 2020 that’s extravagant or lavish in any way considering the devastation so many families are facing in these uncertain times. Clients in this boat want to scale down everything and bring back the focus of the event to spending time with your loved ones. They want comfort food, good wine, good music, and an opportunity to create memories with their nearest and dearest.

In reality, none of us really have any clue what will come from this. It’s simply unprecedented. My genuine hope is that we are back sending happy couples down the aisle as soon as possible, although the best estimates available at this time don’t show large in-person events returning safely until well into 2021.

Celebrate Soon

Despite challenges ahead, I am full of optimism that when we return to normal, every celebration of life events will mean a little bit more.

 I’m optimistic that when the first post-COVID wedding happens, there will be a renewed sense of meaning in the gathering of loved ones to celebrate a marriage. I hope that couples love and support each other more through the wild time that is planning a wedding. I hope that parents are more supportive of their children’s wedding vision. I hope that rental, service and kitchen staff are shown more appreciation. And I hope that all of us vendors bring a renewed sense of joy to wedding day. The only way we, as an industry, recover from this is by bringing bigger hearts and more compassion when we work with couples - something I know we are all, as wedding vendors, innately good at. We wouldn’t be in this industry or working with these couples if we weren’t caring people (it’s certainly not for the oodles of money we are all making).

When we are finally able to be in the same room with our loved ones celebrating a birthday, wedding, anniversary or graduation, those events will be filled to the brim and overflowing with love and positive energy. Being there, physically and emotionally, for our couples and their families on wedding day is going to be so much more meaningful when we are able to celebrate together again. What an honor it will be to bring these love-filled events to life for our couples and their families. I can’t wait for that first wedding back. I can’t wait to help that first bride into her dress and be the last one with her before she goes down the aisle. It will be electric. And to be able to guide my team and a team of vendors through that? That will be incredible. 

We may be facing profound uncertainty now, but as the old saying goes, “Staying positive doesn’t mean you have to be happy all the time. It means that even on hard days you know there are better ones to come."

Facemask for wedding during Coronavirus restrictions, Credit: Fowe Embroidery on Etsy

Watercolor facemasks for wedding, Credit: Anthropologie