I am marrying my person and that is what truly matters, pandemic or not.
We know so many couples have had to reschedule their weddings due to COVID-19. That’s why we started a “Find The Date”, allowing you to see which vendors still have openings for 2020. But some couples are keeping their dates and we love to see it despite having a COVID wedding. We talked to local, Minnesota brides who have some words of wisdom on why they are keeping their date. Learn from their perspective why The Wedding is On: Couples Whose COVID -19 Concerns Aren’t Getting in the Way.
COVID WEDDING BRIDES TELL THEIR STORIES
Andrea Kvasnicka
Wedding Date: October 10, 2020
While Andrea acknowledges that “the hardest part of planning is all of the unknowns and people asking what the plan is,” she says they haven’t changed anything yet. Her advice to brides currently planning a COVID wedding? “Plan it. Don’t postpone because we don’t know what’s even going to happen in a month or year from now. If you want to get married, then do it!”
Alaina Erickson
Wedding Date: September 19, 2020
Alaina makes a great analogy when it comes to wedding planning during COVID-19. She says “Planning a wedding in 2020 is like being in a boxing ring. When you don’t really know how to box, and trying to dodge all the punches that get thrown your way.”
“So many people said, ‘just move it to next year’ or ‘who cares how big the wedding is, as long as you’re married’. And, yes, although us COVID brides do understand that at the end of the day we will be married to our best friend, it’s hard to fathom the wedding you’ve had in your head for the last year (plus all that time daydreaming as a little girl) will just dramatically change or get canceled.” Alaina notes that it’s not always so easy to move everything, from a financial standpoint, “Not to mention the deposits and down payments for vendors and venues that are already paid, and the chance those vendors are all available on the same day later that year or next year is slim.”
“Planning a COVID wedding in 2020 is like being in a boxing ring. When you don’t really know how to box, and trying to dodge all the punches that get thrown your way.”
“I feel like overall, there’s a general ‘defeat’ of the 2020 bride. Everything feels like a hurdle. You have people throwing opinions at you left and right about what you should do and how you should feel. I’ve been trying to keep a positive outlook on the situation and just keep imagining myself on my wedding day marrying my best friend.” Alaina says to put you and your fiancé first in making the decision, “The advice I’d give to 2020-2021 brides is to ignore everyone else’s opinions and just do what’s best for you and your fiancé. No one knows what this pandemic will bring or how long it’ll last, so do your best to roll with the punches and realize that most of this is out of your control.”
Kalynn Tilton
Wedding Date: July 25th, 2020
Kalynn not only got married this summer but with creative quick adjustments, her day wound up perfect. “Our original plans were to get married on July 25th, 2020, in Duluth, MN, at Northland Country Club. This venue is gorgeous and was perfect for my dream wedding. We had everything set and ready to go.” Then as COVID-19 caused celebrations to have limited guests, Tilton had to adjust.
“This is your wedding, do what makes you happy.”
“We had cut our guest list down to only immediate family, our wedding party and a couple of extra friends, which would make for 100 people total in attendance. Our photographer was amazing and told us she would travel down to Forest Lake for us (she is native to Superior, WI). Other than our photographer and our wedding decorations, we had to plan a completely brand new wedding. We had to find a rental company for tents, tables, and chairs. My dad decided to smoke pulled pork for our wedding dinner. We got the rest of our sides through Dickey’s BBQ in North Branch. We were able to find a special through Midwest Sound to book a new DJ. Finding hotels that were open for rooms blocks was difficult but we were able to find locations for our out of town guests.”
As for keeping guests safe at the COVID wedding, they did that as well, and everything turned out better than she had thought, “we provided masks for guests if they wanted to wear them, and hand sanitizer bottles at every table and in every bathroom. We made ‘Enter’ and ‘Exit’ signs to help with the flow of guests. Tables were socially distanced and we kept family members sitting at the same tables while trying to limit overcrowding at tables. Our ceremony and reception were held completely outside. We were definitely nervous going into the weekend regarding the 50-60% chance of thunderstorms for Saturday. But when the day came, it was overcast and the rain held off until about 9-10 pm. We had a couple of sprinkles during our family pictures after the ceremony, but the rain felt wonderful with how humid the day was. The day turned out PERFECT.”
“For all COVID wedding brides right now who are going through the same situation, debating on what to do, having people tell you to postpone, here is my advice: This is your wedding, do what makes you happy. People can choose not to come to a wedding. That’s why you give them an RSVP card and a choice to come. Just remember that this wedding is meant for you and your significant other. Yes, there are many other things that come with a wedding, but the main focus is on being married. Enjoy every second of your wedding day because it goes by so fast.”
Laura Dunlevy
Wedding Date: August 22, 2020
Laura and her fiance are moving forward with their original wedding plans. They’re set to marry at Cobb Hill Estate in New Hampshire. “I would never have thought one of the happiest days of my life would be so full of uncertainty and hard decisions. Planning a wedding during a pandemic has been difficult in many ways. Worrying about others’ safety, masks, and social distancing, [are just some of our concerns]. There are important people to us that are unable to make it due to the virus. This is definitely not the way I pictured my wedding but for financial and personal reasons we chose to move forward. As others have said, ‘Love is not canceled’ and although not ideal, we are making the best of it. At the end of all of this, I am marrying my person and that is what truly matters, pandemic or not.”
Ali Shockency
Wedding Date: October 18, 2020
Ali has been forced to make adjustments to her day, but is still moving forward with her COVID wedding. But, she knows her priorities and has a great attitude and is certain her wedding will be great, “I would say the biggest hurdle to planning a wedding during the COVID-19 pandemic has been coming to terms with the idea that safety is now the number one element we need to consider.” Ali explains.
“At the end of the day, we have faith that our small ceremony will be everything we have dreamt of.”
“Luckily, my fiancé Adam and I never really wanted a large wedding, only that our family can share the moment with us. We canceled our reception and whittled our guest list to our ceremony down by half. We have elderly family members and I have nightmares of them getting sick at our wedding. This is now a huge driving force for us to stop and ask, ‘what do we really need?’ At the end of the day, we have faith that our small ceremony will be everything we have dreamt of.”
For more COVID wedding inspiration, consider checking out our bridal picks for micro weddings!
Photos by Krista Pascoe Photography, Sophisticated Grace Photography, Taryn Collins Photography, & Lindsey Michelle Photography
