How we planned our wedding during a global pandemic and why cancelling was never an option

Let me preface by saying that wedding planning during a global pandemic in general is not that much different from how wedding planning was before. At the same time there a lot of differences when it comes to the word “planning”, the emotional aspect and the attitude all of which I am trying to talk about today.

When planning a wedding I always suggest moving from the big things to the little details and staying focused during the process. Draw out a timeline and place the different tasks within this timeline depending on its priority at the time given. I also believe that wedding planning even during a global pandemic can and should be fun. You are engaged and the anticipation of your big day should be fun. This is what I always communicated to the couple whose weddings I planned. And it is what I told myself at the beginning of this journey.

We are having a six months engagement so I gapped my timeline to 6 months, 3 months and 1 month prior to the wedding. We are now at 15 days to the wedding and minus a few little details; we are done with the planning process ready to enjoy the last stretch of our engagement period. 

We got engaged and one week later, the pandemic hit our country. I got my dress just in time and then everything went silent. Luckily, all the big things like the date, the venue, the guest list and the photographer were also reserved just in time and we even sent out our Save the Dates to the whole list of guests. Our wedding was still six months away and we simply believed everything would be ok. 

I believe that while you are planning your wedding not everything in your life should be about this. It really was not for us. We did our planning but sometimes there were weeks in between where we just enjoyed each other and not every date turned into a planning meeting. Due to the pandemic there were certain things we also could not do because vendors were not open and so we just had to sit and wait and be patient while at the same time it gave me time to deal with some details I would have probably left to the last minute.

All this to say we just stuck with the plan in faith and hope in the future. Nonetheless I do want to share with you the mindset and the attitude we had during the planning process and why cancelling was not an option.

3 mindsets to have while planning your wedding during a global pandemic

1. Cancelling is not an option.

I would be lying if I said the question did not rise up. It did and it was probably my lowest point in all this time. You hear of all these events and weddings being cancelled and you have to ask yourself what is important to you. We sat down, talked about it, and talked about it with our families and closest friends. It was a good exercise in figuring out the essentials of a wedding something I will share with you next week. The conclusion was clear. We will not cancel our wedding.

2. Flexibility wins the day.

If there is one thing that we have learned over the last months it is flexibility and readiness to shift and change. I said we planned in faith and cancelling was not an option, which means you have to be open to anything coming our way and dealing with it as you go. To us it meant having backup plans for the backup plans, constantly being creative and talking about everything. 

3. Keep it positive and respectful.

We were all facing the unknown, the uncharted waters and a situation none of us have ever been in. As we are all in this together, we all deal with it differently. We decided to stay positive and full of faith. We prayed together a lot, encouraged each other, and surrounded ourselves with things that uplift and do not tear down. This is going to be one of the most important moments of our lives and a global pandemic is not going to take away that joy or the holiness of that moment. We also planned on the fact that some people might not come to the wedding because of Covid. We need to respect that and not get angry, discouraged or frustrated about that. It also made us creative to help people be part of it even if they cannot be there in person.

Friends, planning a wedding during a global pandemic is all about your attitude and your mindset. As is doing anything these days. We cannot plan as we used to but we can look into the future with hope and trust.

Much love
Ramona