Alyssa Hall has been planning and dreaming of her wedding since she was 5 years old. She met her dream guy, Caleb, at Sky Ranch Camp in 2018. On their dating anniversary, Caleb proposed to Alyssa, and they started making what they thought would be concrete plans to celebrate their love.

COVID-19 has certainly caused a lot of disappointment and uncertainty these past few weeks. Like many couples recently, Alyssa and Caleb have had to make changes to their wedding day plans; because of the ongoing social distancing, they have decided to postpone their wedding until the summer.

Thankfully, Kalee of Kalee Baker Events is here to help them (and us!) navigate these tough times with some expert advice! Kalee is a wonderfully talented wedding planner and coordinator who truly has a heart for serving her brides, and she’s on a mission to help them during this crisis. These expert tips she shared are invaluable, and we want to share them with you:

Utilize Technology

1. You do not have to stick to the usual etiquette of mailing a letter. Different times call for different etiquette! You don’t need to add more stress and expense by ordering new invitations and stamps. Feel free to call your wedding guests to let them know your wedding plans have changed.

2. Because a traditional guestbook can spread germs, consider a virtual guestbook or appoint one person to record the names of all your guests as they arrive.

3. Livestream your wedding! There may still be limitations on the number of guests who can actually attend for a while, so this is a great way to include all your friends and family so they are still able to watch you get married.

Use Your Resources

1. It truly does ‘take a village’ sometimes, so don’t be afraid to ask your friends and family for help as you adapt to the new situation. There are plenty of ways for your loved ones to help out, so let them put their talents and strengths to good use!

2. Consider a phone tree to help pass along information and last minute changes. This can help take some of the pressure off of you and distribute this enormous task among multiple people.

3. Put one of your bridesmaids, groomsmen or a family member in charge of live-streaming the wedding. Having someone managing the livestream will put you at ease and ensure it runs smoothly for your big day!

Think Through Your Dinner Plans

1. For the sake of safety, it’s best to not have a buffet since they can easily spread germs.

2. Consider having a seated dinner or multiple servers to cut down on germ transfer.

3. If you’ve lost your caterer, you might think about contacting local country clubs, since they have all the resources and staff available to meet your needs.

Embrace COVID-19

1. When you think about it, it’s pretty romantic to celebrate your love in the midst of a crisis — so embrace it and have some fun!

2. Give away hand sanitizer as your wedding favors. Give out masks — you could even have them printed or monogramed!

3. Have a car parade receiving line! This is a really fun idea for family members or friends who can’t risk it, but are still wanting to show their love and support. What a unique memory to carry with you!

Unfortunately, COVID-19 may impact future weddings for some time, so it’s a good idea to go ahead and prepare yourself. We can probably expect lower attendance at weddings for a while, and even as things re-open, they could potentially close again if there’s another outbreak. It’s important to remain hopeful during all of this because it will not last forever. Don’t let this pandemic steal your joy!

For future brides who are planning a wedding down the road, here are some additional tips consider:

1. Make backup plan. As you book your vendors, ask about their backup plan and discuss what may need to happen if there is another COVID-19 outbreak. Knowing you have a contingency plan will put you at ease. “Your choices are basically postponing and cancelling, and when you postpone, you are NOT going to lose as much money as cancelling.” — Kalee

2. Be flexible with your vendors. This is new territory for them too, so try to work with them as best as you can. Make sure you communicate and have realistic expectations about what they are able to do — they may be forced to limit certain services because of the virus. Discuss other options that would work for both of you. Here’s an example: In Kalee’s most recent wedding, the photographer wasn’t able to have a second shooter because of Covid-19 related limitations. The photographer then offered more shooting time and other perks so that the bride and groom still got what they paid for.  Be flexible, and your vendors can really serve you well during this time!

3. Capture your wedding day. If friends and family members are unable to attend (such as grandparents and others at high-risk), consider having your photographer put together a photo album for them; you can even add in descriptions of the day and how you felt to give it a more personal touch. Hiring a videographer would also be a great idea.

4. Spread out the joy. Since having everyone concentrated in one space at the same time may not be an option, think about spreading out time with friends and family throughout the day or weekend. If you’re still going ahead with the wedding now but you’re postponing the reception until later in the year, you may want to host a small brunch the day after the wedding for grandparents and other high-risk loved ones who didn’t feel comfortable attending the ceremony. Keep the celebrations coming!

5. Consider a private property. A privately owned home or backyard can be a beautiful setting for a wedding, and the likelihood of it “closing” or becoming unavailable is much lower.

Always remember: it’s about the marriage and not just the wedding! There are so many special ways you can celebrate your love and union together; it’s just a matter of being flexible and finding creative ways to involve your loved ones. At the end of the day, it’s about you and your fiancé coming together, and nothing can take that away.