– Text by Jane Zatlyny Wedding Photography by Lia Crowe
COVID-19 Pandemic It has affected every aspect of our lives, but couples trying to tie the knot face a particularly daunting challenge. Especially in the first year of the pandemic, when weddings are often postponed multiple times, uncertainty reigns.
Jane Carson and her husband Tyler Leblanc got engaged in 2019 and plan to marry in September 2020.
“When the pandemic started in March, we thought we’d be fine in September, but obviously we’re not,” Jane said. “We’ve always tried to do our best in bad situations, but with the ever-changing constraints, we found it very stressful to try and plan a wedding.”
Jane and Taylor held several small celebrations on their way to the altar, including a party with immediate family members to celebrate the anniversary of their original wedding date. Finally, in a third attempt in August 2022, the Victorian couple got married on the beach in Tofino.
“It turned out to be everything we wanted,” Jane said.
Christina Fazio and Sam Powell, also from Victoria, got engaged in the summer of 2021. They’ve seen friends forced to cancel and rebook weddings, but hope they can keep theirs as the first year of the pandemic ends. Summer 2022 wedding dates.
“We’ve been planning to have a big wedding, so we’re betting that COVID will get us through our plans,” Sam said.
The couple tried to be flexible and not get too invested in their plans.
“If we can’t have a bigger wedding, we’ll still keep the date,” Christina added.
Fortunately, they were able to go ahead with their August wedding as planned.
“Couples now appreciate that they can actually get married,” said former president and publisher Diane Hall. wedding bell and advanced editor CanadaWeddingWire: “When they plan their wedding, they don’t take anything for granted.”
Here’s a look at wedding trends that are likely to persist even after the pandemic does — we hope — in our rearview mirror.
Highly Personalized Wedding
Before 2020, wedding styles were heavily influenced by celebrities and influencers, Diane said.
Not so much today: “Couples are personalizing their weddings to a greater extent, and their wedding spending is more intentional, whether that’s in the form of hiring a diverse team of wedding vendors, supporting local vendors and charities, or reducing their carbon footprint.”
We’re also seeing more “light and formal” weddings, she said: “Couples are still interested in stylish weddings, and using photos from Instagram to document their wedding style is still a very important part of the day.”
smaller guest list
Jessica Minnie, owner and creative director of Vancouver’s Little Pearl Events, said that while a mandatory requirement during the worst days of the pandemic, smaller guest lists are still popular with many couples.
“When people witness beautiful, intimate celebrations, they feel more comfortable making decisions for themselves.”
A smaller guest list also allows couples to create a more luxurious wedding experience for themselves and their guests.
Hire professional help
Hiring a wedding planner is always a wise investment, especially during uncertain times.
“With this decision, you’ll gain experience every step of the way and be able to enjoy the planning journey, as well as the weeks leading up to the wedding, and of course the wedding itself,” Jessica said.
Wedding planners also help couples demystify vendor contracts and ensure cancellation policies are in place.
flexibility
Wedding vendors have learned to build more contingency plans into their recommendations, knowing that things can change. For example, that beautiful custom floral arch can now be used indoors or outdoors and moved around, says Diane.
“It might be an altar first, but it could also be placed behind a wedding table or used as a backdrop for a photo booth.”
Elope backs
Sara Laking is the photographer/owner of the Sara Spectrum in Tofino and she sees a continued increase in elopement or “little money”, usually just the couple, the photographer, maybe the wedding planner and the emcee who attends the ceremony, which takes place later party.
“Without distractions, they were really able to relax,” she said. “It creates a very real experience.”
Jessica has seen more couples marry legally before or after the actual ceremony.
“We encourage couples to legitimize it privately during rehearsals or immediately after the ceremony, to spend a very special moment together, raise a drink and take some beautiful pictures of this important moment in their lives,” she said. Say.
More Outdoor WeddingsGS
exist CanadaWeddingWireDiane noted that the outdoor environment is still very important to Canadian couples, not just to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19.
“Outdoor weddings offer more creativity in decor, tent rentals and other details,” she explains. “Couples can set up a festive atmosphere with a food truck and mobile bar in a vintage trailer.”
Outdoor weddings also open up possibilities for aerial photography.
“It’s about really using nature to create beautiful environments,” adds Diane.
mixed wedding
Travel bans initially led to the trend, but hybrid weddings appear to be here to stay, especially if travel costs are prohibitive for guests.
“They also allowed the couple to have a more luxurious experience at their in-person event,” Diane said, adding that virtual coverage can be very detailed and inclusive. “Couples can also make their signature cocktails and send their virtual guests a recipe or gift pack with mini sparkling wine, a wedding cake and party favors so they can feel part of the festivities.”
It’s party time
Couples and their guests are ready to let their hair down after the first two years of quarantine during the pandemic.
“This generation still wants to get married,” Diane said. “While now the couple takes more responsibility for the safety measures they took, everyone wanted to really celebrate.”
cheers!
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