For many couples, their dreams of a large and lavish wedding were abruptly crushed with the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. Many brides and grooms were forced to shorten their guest lists, cut back on luxuries, and change to more covid-secure venues.
So, how have couples adapted to celebrate their big day over the last two years, and are the changes here to stay? Read on to find out eight ways that COVID wedding celebrations have changed the way we view small weddings.
1. An Intimate Affair - Small Weddings
Even before the pandemic, many couples favoured small and intimate weddings. With a shorter guest list, a COVID wedding brought the opportunity to have a lovely, close-knit affair with only the closest of friends and family present.
A smaller number of guests encourages more mingling amongst friends and family, rather than everyone splitting off into separate parties to enjoy the day. This tends to create a more positive atmosphere which will be remembered by your guests for years to come. This is one of the reasons why many couples are choosing to stick with small weddings in 2024, despite fewer COVID restrictions.
2. Less Guests - Less Pressure
A reduced guest list also means that there is less pressure to ‘put on a show’ for your guests. A small wedding, similar to a COVID wedding celebration, can be an honest affair, with close friends and family sharing honest anecdotes, and making the day as special as possible. Fewer guests mean that a fancy dinner, live music and elaborate ceremony pale in comparison to spending quality time with your closest family and friends on such as special day.
3. The Average Cost of a Small Wedding is Lower
It goes without saying that a more intimate wedding with a smaller guest list is more friendly on the budget too! Fewer mouths to feed and no need for a huge venue to seat everyone can be a great way to cut costs in advance of your big day.
In 2019, the average cost of a small wedding in North America was a staggering $33,900. With covid wedding restrictions in place throughout 2020 and 2021, there’s no doubt that this was reduced significantly. This left brides and grooms with more flexibility to spend their money on the parts of the day that most matter to them, which is one of the reasons why more and more couples are favouring small weddings.
4. Less Stress
Smaller weddings come with less stress. The added pressures of keeping everyone safe, socially distanced, and happy can be a cause of stress, especially if you don’t have the luxury of a wedding planner. However, now that restrictions are easing off, many couples are finding that a small wedding without a huge number of guests to look after tend to result in minimal stress on the day.
5. Spending More Time with Loved Ones
When the guest list of a wedding is reduced to just the closest of friends and family, it becomes easier for the happy couple to spend time with the people they care about. This means no obligation to spend time with acquaintances, or the plus ones that you may never have even met before!
At the end of the day, most couples say that the most special part of their day is spending time with family and friends all together. Fewer guests mean that the bride and groom don’t feel obliged to do the rounds and make sure they’ve seen everyone!
6. Increased Flexibility
One of the big advantages of having a small wedding inspired by COVID wedding celebrations is the flexibility to make changes up until the actual day. Fewer guests and a small outdoor wedding venue mean that changes to the schedule of the day, for example, have a smaller effect and are easier to manage. This is especially true from a catering perspective, as changes to the menu aren’t likely to have a negative effect when there are fewer people to cater to.
7. An Opportunity to Get Creative
For many, the cut-backs enforced with an intimate, covid wedding and a smaller guest list create an opportunity to get creative. Many couples getting married in 2020 or 2021 opted to have drive-through celebrations or small outdoor ceremonies. It’s also a chance to get creative with fun signage, spinning a positive light on the requirement for social distancing and masks.
The pandemic has also forced couples to get creative within their budgets. The average cost of a small wedding might have been reduced, but added pressures on household income throughout the pandemic have encouraged couples to spend their money only on the parts of the day that matter most to them.
Small weddings also provide an opportunity for designing a creative ceremony. In more intimate ceremonies, couples, for example, may choose a dog as the ring bearer.
In any case, an indispensable part of every wedding is the exchange of rings, and this is where The Ring Keeper comes into play. Your rings will be secure in our ring keeper - both during the ceremony and after the wedding whenever you wish to set them aside. Explore the ring keeper shop and find the perfect companion for your rings.
