Keep Your Wedding Guests Safe with a Well Thought Out Plan
Planning a COVID safe wedding during the pandemic can be tricky, but with our tips you will be a pro in no time. All Free Wedding Invitations offers advice in this area.
Since the start of the pandemic, the Australian government has implemented COVID-19 restrictions across the country – this includes how you plan your wedding. A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime, grand event with many invited guests engaging with one another and participating in various activities. But fear not – we help you find ways to minimise the risk of contracting with the virus on your most special day.
Smaller is Better
Each state and each territory have tips regarding the numbers of guests for a wedding, and the numbers change over time. The number of guests attending will also depend on your venue size and proximity. Regardless, it’s safe to invite at least a hundred guests or less to reduce the risk of virus transmission. Invite only your closest family and friends.
Do it Outside
The open air, natural ventilation and the wide space is the best setting for a COVID-safe wedding. Weddings conducted indoors pose a greater risk of exposure to the virus – around 18 times higher than outdoors. Do take note however of the weather; make sure to set the date on a sunny day. We don’t want rain to ruin your most special day.
No Need for a Grand Celebration
The longer you’re with a crowd, the higher the chances of contact you get with the virus. Keep the celebration short – an hour or two should do it. Coordinate with your wedding planner to make sure everything goes smoothly amidst the time limit. You can print some place cards to keep people seated in the correct area.
Practice Social Distancing
Don’t let your guests sit too close to each other. Arrange the seating in such a way your guests will sit one seat apart. Set the plates in that manner as well, and mark the chairs to indicate their seating arrangements. Mark your guests’ glasses too. That way you reduce the chances of them drinking from someone else’s glass. Encourage guests to avoid gathering around areas such as the entrances and the exits.
Brief your Guests with the Tips
On your invitation, include a set of tips your guests have to follow during the day of the wedding. Practice social distancing, use hand sanitisers available, wear your face mask as often as possible. If your guests aren’t feeling well on the day of your wedding – even if it’s only a mild cough – advise them to stay at home. And if you aren’t feeling well, cancel the wedding. However painful that decision can be, it’s for the betterment of you and everyone’s health.
Skip the After-Party Sessions
It’s better to be safe than sorry. Like we advised previously, keep the celebrations short. As soon as the ceremony and the main festivities are over, have your guests immediately go home. After-parties promote close contact and a breeding ground for the virus.
Consider Live Streaming your Wedding
With strict implementations on social gatherings, it is impossible to invite all of your friends and loved ones during a pandemic. Consider having your wedding live streamed instead, with a private URL you can forward to your guests. That way, they will still feel like they are in the moment.
Have the Food Served Instead
Buffets can promote crowd clumping, and guests may not even be able to practice social distancing whilst lining up for food. Sharing of food and utensils is also risky. Have waiters serve the food to the guests instead to minimise possible virus transmission.
Provide Hand Sanitizers and Masks
Besides the plates and the seating, set each table with a hand sanitizer and a face mask for your guests. Put them on the entrances and exits as well, and reinforce your guests to use it as often as they can.
Show Grace
Don’t pressure your guests to attend. Instead, tell them that they don’t have to attend if they don’t feel comfortable surrounding themselves in a crowd. Respect their decisions and be considerate. The pandemic is an unpredictable circumstance that even you cannot simply brush off. If your guests are unable to attend, remind them that you understand, and that you can celebrate together some other time – when it’s safer.
Planning a COVID safe wedding doesn’t need to be daunting when you are well organised. Try using one of our wedding planners to help you keep track of your tasks.
