Planning a Wedding During a Pandemic

The pandemic has NOT cancelled love. However, it has brought upon new ways to celebrate. For couples planning a wedding in 2021, it’s important now more than ever to work side-by-side with trusted wedding specialists to help you navigate these uncertain times.

As of February 2021, Virginia, including Loudoun County, has limited social gatherings to no more than 10 people for indoor weddings, and effective March 1, 25 people for outdoor weddings. However, as vaccinations are rolled out and the number of cases continue to drop, we’re hopeful this will soon change. And we can’t wait to celebrate!

Until then, we encourage all couples to begin the wedding planning process. Since many 2020 weddings were postponed until 2021 and beyond, we expect a surge in demand as soon as restrictions are lifted.

With this in mind, start by checking the availability of the wedding venues and specialists you are interested in, and request information about their COVID policies.

Next, consider the safety measures that might need to be implemented at your event once it’s safe to host larger gatherings. According to the World Health Organization, these are a few guidelines to consider:

• Kindly remind your guests about safety precautions, such as wearing a mask during the wedding, and keeping a safe distance from other guests who are not part of their household.
• If you opt for an indoor space, make sure it’s well ventilated.
• Ensure physical distancing between people. (Luckily there are plenty of large wedding venues through Hunt Country with lots of square footage for safe distances between tables and chairs.)
• Provide necessary supplies to your guests including hand sanitizers, masks, hand hygiene stations, and distance markers.

Working with a local wedding specialist will also help you ensure your wedding adheres to any additional local requirements.

Other wedding trends you can expect

If you’re planning a wedding in Loudoun County here are a few other wedding trends you can expect as part of the new normal.

Mini Weddings

Mini weddings, also known as micro weddings and elopements, are rising in popularity. Couples who can’t wait for restrictions on gatherings to be lifted and would like to plan an intimate wedding immediately, can safely do so with this option.

Many of our Hunt Country Celebrations specialists provide special packages and offers exclusively for smaller celebrations. They will help you plan a small, yet sophisticated gathering complete with stunning landscapes, chic décor, florals and more. If you don’t know how to start planning a micro wedding, start by reaching out to local wedding planners such as Always Creating Studios Weddings & Events, venues such as LeFay Cottage in Little Washington, or officiants such as Any Time Any Place Marriages, and gather information about their elopement packages.

While the event might be small in scale, you don’t have sacrifice glam or sophistication. Love is truly all you need. You can always plan a larger celebration in the future once regulations are eased.

Outdoor Weddings

If the idea of planning a larger wedding (once restrictions have been lifted) is truly what your heart desires, but at the same time you want to ensure maximum guest safety, then an outdoor event might be the perfect solution.

Outdoor venues provide plenty of fresh air and can easily keep all of your guests socially distanced. Best of all Hunt Country has picture-perfect locations – gorgeous vineyards, historic sites and barns, stunning mountain views, and breathtaking rolling hills.

A must-have for your outdoor wedding is an HVAC system with UVC germicidal lights from AirPac Portable Air Conditioners & Heaters.

AirPac specializes in maintaining the perfect temperature inside event tents and barns. Inspired by the latest scientific findings, some of their HVAC systems are now equipped with UVC germicidal lights. In other words, as the air filters in, UV lights inside the unit may inactivate airborne microbes.

Tina Behnke, Client Experience Officer at AirPac says, “there’s a lot of info out there and we have been working hard to apply the research and help our clients as best we can. Taking control of the air we are breathing can be one of the most empowering things we can do right now.”

It is expected that the UVC germicidal lights will keep the air cleaner and safer. How innovative is that?

Dining During Weddings

Smaller table-settings and “served buffets” will become the new norm. For instance, guests will be seated at smaller tables, and the buffet line might look a little different these days. Instead of guests lining up to the buffet, the buffet will now come to them.

Additionally, there are many behind-the-scene changes that have been implemented by wedding caterers, bakers and chocolatiers, making safety the number one priority.

For instance, the team at Kevin’s Catering has implemented additional COVID protocols for a safe dining experience. Owner Kevin Harris says, “we encourage our potential clients to be confident in our measures. All staff members are monitored for wellness, wear masks and gloves, frequently wash their hands, and repeatedly sanitize all surfaces.” These are just a few of the measures they’ve implemented since the pandemic. You can read their full COVID policy here.

Start Planning with Northern Virginia’s Top Wedding Specialists

We understand that planning a wedding during uncertain times can be challenging (to say the least.) But our wedding specialists are here and ready to help you plan your best day ever – even during a pandemic. Click here to connect with the finest wedding specialists in Northern Virginia.  Discover the area’s top-rated wedding venues, caterers, florists, invitation printers, wedding planners and designers, entertainment, photographers, apparel stores, transportation, lodging and more.