COVID Wedding Adaptations

Dan and Jen Willson share their experience and advice about adapting wedding plans during the COVID-19 pandemic, transitioning from a traditional ceremony to a virtual celebration, while maintaining the meaningful aspects of their special day.

Key Points:

• Original Wedding Plans:

  • Planned for 50 people in Jacksonville
  • Simple park ceremony
  • Reception at a favorite brewery
  • Traditional venue-based celebration

• Pivot to Virtual Wedding:

  • Made decision when guests started canceling
  • Used Facebook Live for the ceremony
  • Actually reached more people than originally planned
  • Allowed participation from those who might not have attended due to:
    • Travel constraints
    • Family obligations
    • Work commitments

• Recommendations for Other Couples (May-June 2020):

  • Consider that large gatherings won't return quickly
  • Evaluate three main options:
    • Virtual ceremonies
    • Postponement
    • Significantly smaller gatherings
  • Be realistic about near-term restrictions
  • Consider splitting celebration:
    • Immediate ceremony (virtual/small)
    • Later in-person celebration

• Benefits of Virtual Wedding:

  • Broader inclusion of friends and family
  • Ability to share with extended network
  • Creates unique memories
  • Maintains wedding timeline while being safe
  • Can still plan future in-person celebration

• Post-Wedding Perspective:

  • Made the day feel special despite circumstances
  • Allowed focus on what matters most - the couple
  • Created unexpected positive memories
  • Provided unique way to include more people than original plans