Many of us are in a total COVID-19 panic right now and no one really has any answers to all the questions we all want to ask! I get it. BUT, I’m here to help ease your brain around the stress of planning a wedding around this corona virus thing.

It’s your wedding day. No matter what, you can get married on that day and be married that day. If you’re restricted by the various different event size bans and worried about all of what’s to come– take a deep breath, and read on to hear about some of the options you DO have.

THREE OPTIONS IN THE WAKE OF THE CORONAVIRUS

— Hold a smaller event (intimate wedding or elopement, or just a mini version of YOUR planned wedding!) that fits the restrictions (even if it’s just the two of you, your photographer and your officiant), and have a big party later when things are more resolved! Camden and I are doing this y’all, and not even because the virus! We didn’t want to wait to get married until post-Navy and GETTING MARRIED was our priority, not having a big party, so we did a teeny ceremony with just family and then our big celebration will be in 2021! Totally normal and a great option when your PRIORITY is to BE HITCHED!

— Reschedule your wedding for another day in the future and look into Monday, Sunday and Thursday weddings– that’s when weddings happen less often and you will have good luck finding a day that works for all of your vendors! If your priority is having a big party, this is the best option for you. Even though it’s sad to postpone (I get it!) really weigh these options and decide what is most important to you!

— Hold your wedding as planned, and Livestream the day for those that cannot be present. You can use Zoom, Instagram Live, or for more of a private event, use Facebook Live in a Facebook Group! Reduce the guest list to your most important guests, and invite everyone else via Livestream. THEY WILL UNDERSTAND. This is a big deal! 🙂

AT THE END OF THE DAY LOOK AT YOUR VALUES & PRINCIPLES.

THINK about what is most important to you — See which of your priorities align with each of those three options. Remember that images can be given to everyone, so you can video and Livestream your event via an app like Zoom or just with an iPhone on a group Facebook live, as well as have memories through video and photo from your photographer/videographer for later viewing.

And most importantly: remember that you can have a big blow out 5-year vow renewal if things just don’t happen that epic beautiful way. I’m upset about this as well, don’t get me wrong.This is the build-up to the most exciting part of the year for this community of vendors and couples, and this year it’s saturated by concern, worry, and fear. It’s disheartening BUT we can’t let it get in the way of our values and can’t let fear win. No matter what, you’re going to get married, it will be beautiful, it will be filled with love, and you will share your commitment with one another– and at the end of the day that’s all that really matters.

Also: the whole craze with toilet paper? Is there still some around? Because I MIGHT be almost out and a bit concerned? 😂

For ALL of our clients or POTENTIAL clients, know that we are here with you through this. We will continue to be here with you through this. We’ll figure this out. I promise I’ll be there on your day, unless travel restrictions impact me. However, I do have a national network ready to support us if any of my planned travel is impacted! I am also supporting other photographers who have been impacted by travel restrictions! So YOU WILL have photography for your big day– NO MATTER WHAT. 🙂

And DON’T FORGET TO WASH YOUR HANDS!!! 🙂

-Ashley