{"id":7021,"date":"2020-05-20T17:19:08","date_gmt":"2020-05-20T16:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rainirowell.com\/stylecloud\/?p=7021"},"modified":"2024-09-07T17:35:06","modified_gmt":"2024-09-07T16:35:06","slug":"covid-19-wedding-planning-elope-instead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rainirowell.com\/stylecloud\/covid-19-wedding-planning-elope-instead\/","title":{"rendered":"How to plan your wedding during a pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Wedding planning is a heartfelt and emotional journey so I can only imagine how hard and disappointing this must be for couples whose plans have been disrupted by coronavirus. It’s truly heartbreaking to have to reschedule your wedding. Or to have those early planning stages halted by uncertainty. It’s important to recognise and grieve that loss. And it’s also important to look forward and begin to find ways to feel excited about wedding planning again. Are we ready to tentatively look at the silver linings? Could COVID-19 turn out to be a blessing in disguise for engaged couples?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether it’s more time to plan out their perfect big day. Or for some, this might be the chance to seize their dream of eloping instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"mask<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ways to make the most of a COVID-19 postponed wedding (the short version)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  1. A chance to reflect on your wedding plan to see if it still fits your vision and values<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. More time to switch up any wedding planning details that you weren’t happy with<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. If you are having a DIY wedding – more time to DIY your perfect wedding day accessories and decor<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. An opportunity to elope instead – if that feels right for you<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. The chance to have both a small intimate wedding and <\/strong><\/em>a big celebration <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Have an intimate wedding that your friends and family can witness via Zoom <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    This is an opportune time to look over your wedding plan and ask “is this the right wedding for us?”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Let’s have a real heart-to-heart honest conversation with ourselves. With plans on pause, it’s a good opportunity to sit down as a couple and discuss if your plans still reflect your ‘dream’ wedding. And if they don’t, then this might give you a chance to change that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I know how easy it is to get swept up in it all. For some, you might have started planning by thinking “okay, we’ll keep it small and intimate, only our most cherished and loved people”. So you started writing a list of who those people are. And one “oh but if we invite them then we have to<\/em> invite so-and-so” too many later and you realise have a guest list of 150+ people. (And yet you still don’t feel like you’ve made everyone happy.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You tried your best to be strong and firm in your decisions but it creeped bigger and bigger. Now you might be feeling a little nervous about standing up in front of a large group people, sharing some of the most intimate words you’ll ever say. And you may be also be wondering if you’ll feel like you are ‘performing’ for others. Does this feel like a familiar story to you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is absolutely no judgement – it’s a common feeling and a common position. It’s really easy to be swept up in the SHOULDS<\/em> and MUSTS<\/em> of wedding trends, traditions and social politics. (I say this with whole-hearted love – having experienced this during my own wedding planning too.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Two of the most common regrets from couples after their wedding is that their guest list was too big and their day went by in a blur. They didn’t have the chance to really enjoy the day fully.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you’ve inadvertently found yourself on the big wedding party bus with no way of getting off then maybe, just maybe, COVID-19 could be the emergency brake you didn’t know you needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    When life gives you lemons…. There’s no reason you cantelope<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>– Raini (yes, I quoted myself but I DO LOVE A PUN)<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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    \"Scottish<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    What exactly is ‘eloping’?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Let’s dismiss the idea that eloping is for runaway secret lovers or that its for people who want a quick fuss-free registry office ceremony without celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So what is an elopement? The wedding industry is reclaiming the word – turning it into an alternative option for marrying couples. An elopement is choosing connection over expectation by marrying in an intimate, meaningful and highly-personal way. Focusing only on your commitment – an elopement creates a space for you to be truly vulnerable and present with each other on your wedding day. A common attribute of elopements is that they are intentionally small weddings (often just a couple + their witnesses). Read more about what an elopement is here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The joy of eloping (particularly in Scotland<\/a>) is that you can get married just about anywhere as long as you have 2 witnesses and an officiant. You can get married on the beach, up a mountain, in the city streets of Edinburgh, up in a treehouse, in a barn, deep in a cave, in a car, on a bus or just about anywhere your imagination can dream of. (I had to stop because I was starting to sound like Dr Seuss).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For couples who secretly wish they could elope or have a small intimate wedding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    There are plenty of different reasons that people choose to elope – and a lot of them aren’t necessarily what you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n