[custom_adv] As states reopen, wedding ceremonies will be a marriage of celebration and safety, experts predict. The newest iteration of COVID-19 weddings follows online weddings and video-streamed weddings. As venues reopen and couples opt for in-person celebrations, there are still precautions that should be kept in mind. [custom_adv] For example, the typical wedding favors – candles, sweets or mini bottles of booze – may be swapped for masks or hand sanitizer. Rows of chairs may be more disjointed to allow guests to maintain a safe space from those outside of their household. Still, some guests may choose to attend virtually. [custom_adv] Money anticipates ad hoc seating will replace the meticulous plans of pre-pandemic weddings. During the ceremony, chairs may be placed as guests arrive, grouping families and those that have been quarantining together. The same goes for receptions, where a mix of table sizes allows for groups to stick together. [custom_adv] The long lines of people and shared utensils of a self-serve dinner service isn't ideal during a pandemic. So, couples will opt for plated meals or smaller stations, Money predicts. [custom_adv] A shift wedding is one way to increase the number of guests who can witness one's wedding day. The idea is to invite some people to the ceremony and others to the reception. The early group would leave after the wedding, with the later group filtering in during cocktail hour, Trumpower says. [custom_adv] Some couples are opting to tie the knot now in a micro or mini-wedding, which has about 25-50 guests and plan for a larger gathering later. As the guests were arriving at the venue, an official from the city showed up and told them that it could not go ahead as planned, because the amount of guests involved violated an executive order in the state. [custom_adv] The couple were still able to have a wedding of some kind, but with a majority of the guests watching the service via video-conferencing service Zoom and a select few in the church.
