▶▶ Weddings set to make a comeback in state.
But you’d better think small
Gov. Ned Lamont’s daughter has a wedding planned for late summer, but even the governor isn’t sure how it will go.
For events such as weddings, which are planned months in advance, vendors and couples can’t hold out until the last minute to make changes.
Wedding and event planner Lisa Antonecchia, who owns Creative Concepts by Lisa, said it’s the type of industry in which every decision has a domino effect.
“With the wedding industry we need that information sooner rather than later,” she said.
As more types of businesses open as part of Lamont’s phased reopening for the state, certain restrictions are being lifted or adjusted, including social gathering limits and safety guidelines for eateries.
“Phases one, two and three haven’t been inclusive of a wedding reception in the traditional sense,” Antonecchia said.
“It’s not being spoken about,” she said. “At this point most couples have moved. The only caveat is that it starts with the wedding venue, which has to be ready to move you. A lot are waiting for the authority of the governor.”
The average wedding in Connecticut includes about 100 or more people, she said.
But while, as of June 1, Lamont eased restrictions for social and religious gatherings, allowing as many as 100 worshipers for a service, for private gatherings the limit is only 10 people inside and 25 outside, if they maintain socialdistancing protocols. Previously gatherings were limited to just five people.
Antonecchia had 22 weddings booked this year, after most rescheduled to next year or later, and after a few canceled, she’s left with six, she said.
One couple who had a wedding scheduled in May moved their date to August, and a July couple pushed the wedding to October.
She said the August wedding still could happen if her couple can limit attendance to 50 people, which not only includes guests, but vendors, too — the caterer, band, photographer.
“Truthfully, nobody wants to move this year and then have him (Lamont) turn around and change his mind,” Antonecchia said.
May 20 saw the return of sit-down dining outdoors — with restrictions — and the revival of many retail businesses. Initially hair salons and barbers also were going to open, but Lamont changed the decision a couple of days before the planned reopening, pushing the date to June 1.
Considerations and guidelines
Antonecchia said many measures still are undecided, including guidance on dance floors, guests or couples wearing masks, delivering physical congratulations to the couple, selfserve food, passed hors d’oeuvres and seating arrangements.
Social distancing for dinner is being discussed and possibly reducing a 10-person table to only accommodate four, and even cutlery placements need to be considered, Antonecchia said.
Having a wedding reception this year could mean there is no crowded dance floor, no hugging the newlyweds, no cocktail hour — but so far it’s been up to vendors and couples to figure out, she said.
“These are things that we simply don’t have answers to because they haven’t been presented to us by the powers that be,” she said.
Ken Metz, owner of the Chatfield Hollow Inn and event venue in Killingworth, said he is fortunate to have an outdoor wedding space on 26 acres to help accommodate larger events and social distancing protocols.
Nevertheless, he’s had to rebook or cancel all of his spring weddings, while couples planning fall dates are tentatively booked for next year, too, in case they decide to cancel.
He’s given them options of a full refund or to rebook, because he can afford to, he said.
“Many of the vendors — I’m thinking caterers, photographers, florists — may have more restrictive cancellation policies,” he said. “Much of that deposit money may already have been spent, so they may be more reluctant to refund a deposit to clients. They may not have the funds to be able to do so.”
Metz said he’s worried many vendors may go out of business because they are having to stretch their income over two years, rather than one.
“I worry about those people,” he said. “And I feel bad for the couples who will be losing deposits because the funds are gone and spent.”
Metz added many vendors could be in an even worse position because so many couples aren’t rescheduling for next year, but 2022 instead.
Even though many ceremonies and receptions already were canceled this year, Antonecchia said she has been marrying couples as a justice of the peace.
“This pandemic doesn’t get to tell you you can’t get married,” she said. “It may say you can’t dance with a group of people or hug the bride, and the level of frustration is not lost on me.”
Lamont’s advice
When Lamont discussed the phases of reopening, his impression was that events that can be held outside are likely to be permitted sooner than indoor events — weddings, concerts and church services, for example. Lamont hopes to have his daughter’s wedding over Labor Day weekend.
Hearst Connecticut Media Columnist and Editor Dan Haar asked Lamont in a live Q&A May 21 what to do with a wedding planned for September with more than 100 people, whether people should hold on or cancel.
Lamont has he he didn’t make any deposits yet for his daughter’s wedding, and wasn’t sure that it could be 100-150 guests.
“My feeling is that DJ or caterer will be looking for work and I can make that deposit a little bit later when the circumstances change,” he told Haar.
Included in the governor’s FAQ guidelines related to COVID-19, there is little information specific to weddings.
If ceremonies are religious ones, the previous limit could include up to 49 people. Lamont most announcement included that indoor services will be limited to 25 percent capacity or 100 people, whichever is less. Religious leaders also will be allowed to hold outdoor services with up to 150 people.
Antonecchia said she’s also erring on the side of caution when it comes to decisions and changes, but vendors and event planners need a firm answer.
“I appreciate the slow and methodical rollout, but in the wedding world, that doesn’t work,” she said. “It’s almost the polar opposite. Everything has a time frame to it. So it’s difficult to wait for an update every two weeks.”
Including the professionals
Antonecchia said the more detailed the state can be with its guidelines the better it will be for people working in the event industry and couples trying to plan their ceremonies and receptions.
Metz said he is waiting for more guidance from the state before he can institute any policy changes for his couples.
He’s also one of the industry folks who want rules to be laid out, rather than vendors working among themselves to develop best practices.
“I would like more specific guidelines from (the) state so I can go to my clients and say ‘these are the guidelines’ and they can make an informed decision,” Metz said. “I need on my end to prepare for whatever guidelines and changes there may be. Once that happens, once we get a better sense of what our restrictions are, that may influence many of the couples that are waiting.”
Metz said the couples he has booked for the fall season — September through October for his venue — also have holds on the venue for next fall because they haven’t decided yet whether they should reschedule.
All his weddings for this year are around 150 people.
Anotonecchia said wedding and event industry professionals would like to not only get guidance, but give input.
“Once it becomes a bigger event, they’re going to have to provide us with more guidelines, otherwise, as industry professionals, we’re looking for help, looking for guidelines,” she said. “We want to be included in some of these conversations about the rollout and we continue to ask to be included.”