COVID-19 forces changes for spring weddings

COVID-19 will present a unique set of problems for wedding planners.

WOULD SIX BIRTHDAY PARTIES BABYSHOWERS FUNERALS.THE CORONAVIRUS IS CANCELINGSOME BIG MOMENTS IT IS, YOU KNOWBRIDES IN OUR AREA ARE MAKINGSOME TOUGH CHOICES ABOUT HOW TOPROCEED WITH THEIR BIG DAYS.SHOULD THEY HAVE A SMALL WEDDINGNOW OR WAIT UNTIL WIN WE FOUNDOUT THAT’S A QUESTION EVENEXPERTS CAN’T ANSWER FOR SURE.SHE MADE IT THROUGH THECEREMONY, BUT THIS WAS THEMOMENT THAT BROUGHT KATIEPICKERING BARRY TO TEARS WALKINGOUT OF ST.JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH INLAUREL SATURDAY TO SEE A SMALLCHEERING SECTION OF FRIENDS ANDFAMILY EVEN WEDDING PARTYMEMBERS WHO COULDN’T ACTUALLYCOME INTO HER WEDDING BECAUSE OFCOVID-19 SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS.AND FRIENDS AND THEY WERE ALL INTHERE LIKE FAMILY UNIT SIX FEETAPART, BUT THEY HAD ALL COMEOUT.AT THEY HAD STREAMERS CONFETTIFIREWORKS.IT WAS SO SWEET AND A COMPLETESURPRISE AND I THINK I WAS SOEXCITED DURING THE ACTUALCEREMONY.I DIDN’T SHED A TEAR BUTWHENEVER I WAS COMING DOWN THEAISLE AND SAW ALL THOSE PEOPLEHAD COME TOGETHER TO SURPRISE USAT DEFINITELY STARTED TEARINGUP.IT WAS JUST LAST MONTH KATIEREALIZE THE WEDDING.SHE PLANNED FOR OVER A YEAR WITHHER.FIANCÉ.TYLER WOULD HAVE TO BE MUCHSMALLER THAN THE 300 GUESTS.THEY EXPECTED IT WENT FROM YOUKNOW, WE HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNEDTO THE ABOUT 50 PEOPLE WE’RELIKE, OKAY WE CAN MAKE THIS WORKWITH AUNTS UNCLES AND COUSINS,BUT THEN WHENEVER IT WAS DOWN TO10, WE WERE LIKE, OH MY WORDWE’RE GOING HAVE TO CUT OURAUNTS AND UNCLES KATIE’S NOTALONE ACROSS MISSISSIPPI BRIDESARE DECIDING WHETHER TO POSTPONETHEIR WEDDINGS ARE MOVE FORWARDWITH MUCH SMALLER BIG DAYS.SO IN THE BEGINNING, I THINK ITWAS JUST A LOT.PANIC MODE FOR ESPECIALLY OURPRECIOUS APRIL AND MAY BRIDESOVER THE LAST MONTH KENDALL POOLHAS SCHEDULED A DOZEN WEDDINGSTHAT WE WANTED TO BE SAFEBROTHER THAN SORRY AND ONE OFTHE THINGS THAT I KEPT SAYING TOOUR BRIDES WAS WE WANT PEOPLE TOCOME TO YOUR WEDDING EXCITED ANDWANTING TO HUG YOU AND CELEBRATEWITH YOU NOT COME IN WITH A FACEMASK AND GO I CAN’T COME HUG YOUFROM WRITING FROM AFAR FOR MOSTBRIDES THAT MID MOVING THEIRWEDDINGS BACK TO JUNE AT THEEARLIEST.WE WANT TO FOCUS ON HELPINGCOUPLES PLAN A MARRIAGE NOT JUSTPLAN A WEDDING AND YOU KNOW ALLTHE THIS IS SUCH A CAUGHT ANDFRUSTRATING TIME AT THE SAMETIME USE THIS TO FIGURE OUT WAYSTHAT YOU AS A COUPLE CAN LEARNHOW TO LIVE LIFE TOGETHER DURINGDIFFICULT TIMES KT IS SETTLINGINTO NEWLYWED LIFE.SO WE GOT THE HOUSE KIND OFREADY ALL OF OUR GIFTS BUT AWAYAND YEAH TODAY’S HE’S BACK ATWORK.THEY’LL BE A HONEYMOON TO TAKEWHEN THE RESORT REOPENS ANDHOPEFULLY A RECEPTION THIS FALLBUT AS FOR HER LITTLE BIG DAY,SHE WOULDN’T CHANGE A THING.THAT FOR WEDDINGS THAT ARE STILLON THE BOOKS AND THE SUMMER ANDFALL POOLE SAYS THERE MAY BETEMPERATURE CHECKS AT THE DOOR.THEY’RE LOOKING AT HANDSANITIZER STATIONS AND SEATEDMEALS INSTEAD OF SERVING BUFFETSTYLE, BUT EVEN WITH THOSEPRECAUTIONS MORE BRIDES MAY HAVETO SCALE BACK OR EVEN POSTPONEDOVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS JUSTTODAY STATE HEALTH OFFICER.DR. THOMAS DOBBS SAID, IT’SEXTREMELY UNLIKELY NORMAL.GATHER