‘Love is not canceled’: expert wedding tips
Homewood, CHICAGO —
Ill., residents, Deborah and Markell Thrash were married Aug. 8 on the grounds of Sinha Elegant Cuisine surrounded by 25 of their closest family and friends. DNR Events, an event planning firmin Blue Island, Ill., made their big day happen.
“Wewere going togetmarriedrightbeforethepandemic set in, inMarch,” said Deborah Thrash, 58. “We've both been married before. When everything sort of opened back up, we waited a little while, then Iwas like: 'Arewe going to do this? He said yes, and I ran with it. My thing is live for today because I don't knowwhattomorrowisgoing to hold.”
Like the Thrashes, other couples are pushing forward with 2020 wedding dates. Wedding and event planner Desiree Dent, founder of Chicago-based Dejanae Events, said three couples on her 2020 wedding roster are holding true to their originally plannedwedding date. That'sdespite the postponing trendthatmanycoupleshave takensincetheCOVID-19pandemic began. According to theweddingplanningwebsite The Knot, most couples with weddingdatesbetweenMarch and August postponed their wedding celebrations (only 7% are canceling altogether).
“Alot of the coupleswe've beenworking withhavebeen planning theirwedding since 2019,” Dent said. “Couples are still gettingmarried; it just looksdifferent... moremicroweddingsor`mini-monies.'We stillwant people toknowthat loveisnotcanceled,” shesaid. “The fabulousness level of a wedding isuptothe couple.”
Kate Reavey, owner of Chicago Vintage Weddings, said her firm just executed a $30,000wedding for 26 peoplerecentlythatshedescribes as “stunning.” She and her friend, Alyson Thompson, a hotel catering manager, are hosts of “The Itty BittyWedding Committee Podcast,” a wedding planning resource forChicagocouplesimpacted by the events this year.
Reavey's wedding tips include:
Upgradingmenuoptions. Think additional courses and intermezzoteasers, oramenu that reliesheavilyonproducts fromlocal small farms with a show-stopping presentation. “Don't get ordinary banquet food,” saidRomonaJohnson, DNREventsco-founder/owner. “Be creative. Hire food trucks — empanadas, jerk chicken and some cupcakes.”
Bringing in a sommelier or improving bar options. Think vintage wines, a champagne tower, or personalized bittersforcocktails. Thebitters can double as a great favor if your guests are cocktail people. “Alcohol can be very close to what you spend on the food package – depends if you're doing top shelf,” Johnson added.
See ifyourcaterer/venue will allowyou to bring in a chef to do a cooking demo for guests.
A trend in the time of COVID-19 is single-serve wedding cakes, so you can have small cakes brought to eachguest'ssettingfordessert.
Provide packages of desserts/candy for each guest to enjoy at home. Customizedcookiesprintedwithyour wedding logo and packed in a box with a personalized tag.
Bring in draping tomake thewedding environment feelmore intimate, ordecorative greenerywalls to createthesameeffect. Specialty rentals like achampagnecart, mirrored tables are another unique addition. Katherine HealyBrown, ownerof Clover Events, said lounge furniture groupings that allow people who live in the same house to sit together is another layout option.
Going big on flowers via a grand entryway, hanging floraldisplays, larger-than-life centerpieces, and arrangements for the restroom add to the wedding's ambiance.
Order monogrammed customized masks. Brown suggestedthesamething with cheeky face masks for guests.
Order car service for each guest, taking care to booksharedcars onlyforpeoplewho are in one another's bubble.
Bring in specialty entertainment, such as a dance performance or even standup comedy for later in the evening. Brown said one of her 2020 couples chose to do a casino night, in lieu of dancing.