Creative Ways to Adhere to Government Measures

This article is part of our Planning a Wedding in a Pandemic: Covid-19 series.

Covid-19 has been the centre of our conversations for the past 9 months. A ton load of adjustments has since been made in all areas of our lives, and we’ve learnt to cope with all that has been made necessary for weddings to continue taking place. While we see a gradual easing on the guest capacity allowed per event, the measures that are put in place to keep everyone safe is definitely here to stay.

Instead of viewing these rules as impediments to a memorable celebration, view them as the necessary steps to safeguard the wellbeing of your loved ones and while you’re at it, why not have some fun and get creative with your Covid-19 conscious wedding?

Here are some ideas to get you started on planning an unforgettable celebration!

Have Fun With Assigned Seatings

The rule for individuals to be seated away from each other still remains and has inevitably resulted in an awkward arrangement especially in intimate settings like a wedding ceremony – chairs placed a metre apart is not a visually pleasing sight and vaguely reminded us of the days we used to have our Oral Examinations in school.

To counter this, consider replacing individual chairs with interesting sofa sets or couches that could seat two to five people from the same family. Angled in the right orientation and with careful placement of floral and other decorative elements, no one could tell this is a ceremony held during a pandemic (though the masks would have likely given it away). The setup will not only look good in photos, but your guests will also feel and look less uneasy!

Reshape the Ceremony Layout

If you’re up to make it even more inclusive for your guests and yourself, you can change the usual setup of having your ceremony happening at the front of the room to one that is more centrally focused.  By moving the focal point right to the centre of the room, you get to be surrounded by your loved ones and you do away with the problem of having guests sitting too far behind because of the need to social distance.

Get Punny!

Though at times overly used, puns never get old in weddings because they work! Your wedding might be the first social event that your guests are attending since the start of the pandemic. It will be helpful to remind them of the measures that need to be kept in check and one way to do this is through punny (and funny) signages that you can place around the venue. For example, you can use a sign that says “you gotta be cool enough to enter” to remind guests to have their temperature checked. You can get plenty more ideas from our Pinterest page.

Go Outdoors

There are many reasons for Singaporean couples to choose an outdoor ceremony venue but one major con always outweighs all of them – the weather! However, with ventilation and safety reasons as key concerns, this single negative factor may be easily overthrown. To make it comfortable for everyone, choose an evening slot where it is slightly breezier and you get to celebrate with fresh air and natural light!

Entertain Your Guests While Keeping Them Seated!

Authorities have urged couples to reduce mingling among guests during wedding celebrations. Then how do you keep your guests entertained while keeping them to their seats? You can host online games that involve your guests on an individual level through platforms such as Kahoot, or you can have a contest with competitive games like Skribbl.

Live Band is popular in weddings for they contribute to a more dynamic and interactive experience. While live singing is still not allowed for now, you can always engage them and stream their performance through the screen. There is also the chance to get more guests to interact with them digitally by leaving a message for them to read aloud or request for a song.

Have an Absolute Blast With a Virtual After-Party

Serving and consumption of alcohol after 10.30pm at event venues is still not allowed and we know how disappointed some are especially those who want their wedding celebration to continue into the early morning. If you’re one of them, why not take your after-party online and let the celebration continue from the comfort of everyone’s home?

Provide ample time for your guests to get home after your dinner reception and pre-arrange some booze to be sent to your guests in advance. You can hire a DJ to take charge of the music virtually or even hire a game host to host your very own Mafia game. The best part is not having to worry about friends who have gotten too drunk after the party because they will already be at home!

Celebration in times like this is still a celebration and there are ways around to keep your guests safe, while still having fun! There has never been a better time to introduce fresh new ideas to celebrate a wedding than now. Incorporate some of these and your pandemic wedding will still be the talk of town 9 months or even 9 years from now!

^{Feature image – Photo by Splendid Moment}