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It turns out that even a worldwide pandemic can’t keep people from falling in love and tying the knot. Despite being in this weird in-between season, weddings are not slowing down. The New York Times says that Dr. Anthony S. Fauci suggests weddings be pushed to June or July of 2021 at the earliest, which has many couples rushing to get their date on the calendar. And with President Biden announcing that all adults who want to get vaccinated will be able to by summer, we expect weddings to boom in late winter.
Before we start on the fun wedding planning talk, consider buying a wedding planner organizer like this one for under $30 on Amazon. This planner can help you keep your reservations, appointments, guest list and more organized and in one spot.
Flip the Script: Explore Many Venue Choices
Typically when it comes to planning a wedding, you choose your wedding date and set your budget first. However, the first thing you should do now is call different venues to inquire about availability and limitations. You might have to get creative on what type of venue you book, such as farms or spacious AirBnB rentals that allow for small weddings. With so many different counties and states having varying regulations, it is a good idea to call three to five venues and ask the following questions:
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What dates are available?
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Can the venue host the ceremony and reception?
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What are the venue’s COVID-19 regulations and restrictions?
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How many guests can attend?
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Which dining and dancing choices are approved/not approved?
From having this information, you can decide how to carry on with your plans. There is no point in planning a wedding for 75 guests when all of your local venues have a 50-guest maximum. Once you decide on which venue is the best for your needs and budget, book it and submit your deposit right away to secure your spot.
Rock Bottom Flight Prices Means More Wedding Possibilities
Take advantage of cheap flights, and plan a destination wedding if your local venues aren’t working out. With all travel and event plans this year, use precautions and follow all regulations in place. To make sure you’re getting the best deal, check the Slickdeals Flight Deals page often and read comments on flight deal threads to gain valuable insight and insider traveling tricks from our Slickdeals community of more than 12 million deal hunters.
Make Gathering Comfortable for Everyone with Concert Bands
There’s a good chance you can’t invite every single person you’d like to your wedding due to COVID rules or budget reasons. There is no need to feel guilty. Instead let co-workers and distant family friends know that while you would love to have everyone possible together to celebrate, the venue has strict rules.
Now is the time for you and your partner to choose guests with whom you want to share your special day. There is no room for individuals you feel obligated to invite during these times. If space is tight, you can always offer a streaming option for individuals who cannot attend or those who live out of the area.
To make everyone attending feel a bit more comfortable, consider offering color-coded rubber bracelets for guests to express their social distancing wishes. The recent Times article also featured a wedding that used colored bands for guests to indicate to other guests what type of contact they were that are okay with:
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Green bands if ok for full-on embraces, hugs, kisses, and dancing close
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Yellow bands for guests down for elbow bumps
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Red bands for guests who prefer to wave from afar
COVID-Proof Your Wedding but Still Do It with Style
While each venue and vendor will set their own regulations, it is a good idea to add these touches to your wedding to help prevent the spread:
It is also a good idea to conduct an emergency plan B. For example, if my officiant cancels at the last minute, I can contact this person or a family member who is willing to be ordained online ahead of time as a backup.
Use Slickdeals to Save Money on Your Wedding
Once the most important aspects of your wedding, such as your venue and vendors, are booked, you can complete the other tasks at a more leisurely pace. There is still quite a lot to do for your wedding, but these tasks can be divided up by the number of months left until you say “I Do.”
Here are a few ways to save money on the following tasks:
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Wedding Favors: If doing favors, decide on your theme and shop Amazon. If it is a well-known item, such as bath bombs or candy, set a Deal Alert to be notified when there’s a good sale.
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Invitations and Save the Dates: If you choose to do a photo invitation or Save the Date, use sites that have frequent coupon codes, like Shutterfly.
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Wedding Attire: Consider renting wedding attire instead of purchasing. Set a Deal Alert for “wedding” to get notifications for sales, and shop shoes and accessories from stores that allow stacked sales like Kohl’s.
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Honeymoon: Right now you can find great deals on future travel and vacation packages, but remember to know cancellation policies before you commit. Consider using a travel credit card for your wedding purchases to earn points toward future travel plans.
Your 2021 wedding might look a little different than you envisioned, but you can still have an amazing celebration with your true love and closest family members and friends this year.
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Navigate multiple sales at once by setting Deal Alerts on Slickdeals for items you need and are already shopping for, and by checking our coupon pages for current promo codes for your favorite stores.
You can also download the Slickdeals app for iOS or for Andriod to your phone to save you money when you shop online. See all active deals our community of over 12 million active deal hunters have found and uploaded and easily search and browse items to make sure you’re getting the lowest price on the internet. You can also set Deal Alerts using the app to get notified on your phone whenever the item you want is on sale at the price you want to pay.
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Our editors strive to ensure that the information in this article is accurate as of the date published, but please keep in mind that offers can change. We encourage you to verify all terms and conditions of any product before you apply.
