Love and Commitment in the time of COVID-19

By: Althea Kalalo, Editorial Associate

Tips for planning your special day amid a pandemic

COVID-19 has put a halt to countless events and social gatherings, but it hasn’t stopped couples from getting married in creative ways. 

Because of the pandemic, Vianka Amurao and Coby Sarreal opted for a simple home wedding instead of their initial plans of a Sagada wedding in November 2020. Their entourage, family, and loved ones took part in the ceremony via Zoom.

Image courtesy of ProudRad Photography

Jerahcel Torrentira and Jim Gerona, who were set on marrying in Cebu, tied the knot in an intimate gathering at Bacolod Adventist Medical Center’s conference room instead. The ceremony followed all the necessary safety protocols, such as wearing masks and strict physical distancing.`

Image courtesy of Bacolod Adventist Medical Center

Given the extreme situation that the country is in, couples who planned to marry this year must decide to either postpone their wedding, or push through while following the guidelines in this new normal. It’s a tough decision to make no matter what route you take, but it’s important to have this difficult conversation with your partner, especially because it’s something that both of you have to agree on. You should also try your best not to panic, and to take charge of the situation instead. Whether or not you’re postponing or changing your wedding plans all together, here are some helpful tips to consider as you plan your special day:  

Communicate with your vendors/suppliers

Weddings take a lot of planning and preparation, which means details are usually ironed out months ahead. Because of the interruption that COVID-19 has caused, you need to decide on how you’ll go about your vendors and suppliers – from your venue and catering to your flowers and giveaways. If you have a wedding planner, ask him or her to revisit your contracts with your vendors so you can either cancel after paying a fee or rebook for a later date. The sooner you do this, the more chances you have of minimizing your costs and finding a date when your suppliers can accommodate you if needed.

Be open with your guests

Most people would want all of their friends and loved ones to be there on their special day. This often means inviting dozens or even hundreds of people to your wedding. Now, with the new normal restricting mass gatherings and creating the need for strict physical distancing, a big wedding is out of the picture. Knowing this, it’s important to let your guests know how this affects them as well. Be honest with them that you’ll need to postpone your wedding, scale it down, or even cancel altogether. Your guests will appreciate being updated, especially because they’ll know that you’re looking out for them, too.

Make adjustments if you’re set on pushing through

If you decide to scale down your wedding and push through with your original date, be sure to take the necessary precautions. This means only having an intimate gathering and being conscious of sanitation in your wedding venue. If you want a Church wedding, you must follow the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ guidelines on religious rites and celebrations, which states that couples must forego secondary elements of a normal wedding. You can choose alternative ways of celebrating this milestone, such as having a virtual reception with all your loved ones, or even saving the party for a later date when it’s safe for people to gather.

Go back to the essence of the ceremony

With all the negative things happening in the world, it’s good to go back to what truly makes your wedding special. At the end of the day, your wedding isn’t about the venue, the food, or the afterparty – it’s about the commitment of two people who love one another and are ready to spend the rest of their lives together, and that’s what really matters.

Share your COVID-19 wedding stories with us! Let’s connect at info@teamasia.com.