Real Weddings: Planning Through a Pandemic

Devin + Benjamin’s Intimate William Aiken House Micro Wedding

“On the day of the wedding, everyone was just elated to finally be on site, celebrating Devin and Ben’s big day. Devin and Ben were probably some of the most relaxed clients I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Nothing could have phased them on their wedding day. The sky could have fallen, and they wouldn’t have cared. They were just so happy to be celebrating with family and friends!” – PPHG Event Manager, Kailin Good

Planning a wedding isn’t always easy. Planning a wedding during a pandemic is a whole other ballgame… but it CAN be done, and you CAN still have the most perfect day! Starting today, we’re kicking off a new blog series called “Real Weddings: Planning During a Pandemic” where actual PPHG couples share their stories about planning a wedding in the time of COVID-19. Get first-hand accounts on how to celebrate your love safely with your nearest and dearest. Below, newlyweds Devin + Ben share their William Aiken House wedding planning experience, as well as the outcome of their big day!

“Pivot” is the word of 2020. In what ways, if any, did you have to “pivot” your wedding/planning to stay within COVID-19 regulations? And did this include moving your original wedding date and/or location?

We postponed our wedding from May 1st to September 4th back in March when the pandemic was just hitting. We figured that by September, things would be in great shape, and we could go forward with our wedding normally. Ultimately, we were able to keep the same location and all of our original vendors, but we had a wedding with just family and wedding party (40 people) instead of our original 100.

Is there any aspect of your original wedding day plan that was important to you to keep?

We were lucky enough to keep most elements of our original wedding day, especially the venue and vendors. We were also able to be joined by most of our immediate family and wedding party, even though there were faces we missed.

Were there any positives that resulted from having to “pivot”?

The huge silver lining was that everyone who joined us on our big day really truly wanted to be there and were open to just celebrating! With 40 guests, we felt we were able to actually spend time with all of our guests and were able to enjoy ourselves. There was no time spent with obligatory hellos and, instead, a lot of laughs and dancing!

What PPHG COVID-19 guideline(s) made you feel the safest?

All elements were fantastic, from the staff all in masks, the sanitation stations, the required COVID-19 waivers, and the social distancing.

Did you, your planner, and/or your vendors come up with any creative ways to incorporate COVID-19 requirements?

PPHG and our event planner (The Petal Report) did a fantastic job setting up the William Aiken House in a way that made it feel socially distanced, but a perfect fit for our smaller headcount. We were able to leverage the whole space without it feeling sparse. We also chose to include wristbands (red, yellow, and green) for our guests to wear to indicate their comfort level and social distancing preferences. This totally removed the awkward “should we hug/shake” or “should we have a mask on?”

What advice would you give couples planning a wedding during the pandemic?

Remember that no one has been through this before, so there is no right/wrong way of planning a wedding in a pandemic. All social expectations go out the window, so just make it the wedding you want to have and celebrate that you finally get to start your life with the person you love.

Looking back, was your wedding still the special day you’ve always dreamed of?

It was even better. I am heartbroken that there were people who couldn’t make it because of the pandemic, but I am so grateful for the friends and family who joined us and was blown away by the kindness our vendors shared and the lengths everyone went to in order to make it the most magical and safest environment possible. We all know 2020 is hard enough, so it was amazing to all have something to celebrate.

Thank you for sharing your experience, Devin + Benjamin, and congrats!

VENDORS

Venue, Bar, Catering & Cake: Patrick Properties Hospitality Group

Event Planner: The Petal Report

Photographer: Dana Cubbage Photography

Florals: Fresh Weddings & Events

Beauty: Pampered & Pretty

Rentals: Snyder Events

Lighting: Innovative Event Services

DJ: Stephen Darby