How to Have a Safe Micro Wedding

Before I get started with some tips on how to have a safe micro wedding, I wanted to make the obvious disclaimer that safe never means 100% safety. (Especially in the case of COVID-19 and the never ending uncertainty of the virus).

The tips below will be recommended precautions you can take during this time to try and make it as safe as possible for you and your guests! I’m positive there are even more precautions than listed below but this is a start.

ONE: Guest Count Mandates

Follow regulations and mandates in your corresponding county for the maximum guest count allowed. For example if the gatherings are limited to 10 total you will want to ensure that your guest count (including yourselves as a couple) is not over that number. I know that seems like such a limited number but you can organize a drive by later that day as a celebration for your guests that can’t attend.

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TWO: Masks & More

There are few precautions you can take and require to make your guests and yourselves feel even more comfortable. First, as guests arrive you can have their temperature taken to ensure no one has a fever upon entering. This requires a bit of organizing like purchasing the thermometer and having a way to safely sanitize it between uses. Also, having a person designated to doing this is very helpful.

Next, requiring that masks be worn throughout the ceremony and while walking around is a great idea. If guests will be seated for a meal that is when the mask can be removed. Also, depending on your comfortability level having yourselves (the couple) not wear a mask during the ceremony is definitely possible. There has been a lot of science behind masks reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Make sure your ceremony, dinner and entire micro-wedding takes place outdoors! This allows for enough space to social distance and air flow which are both key to safer environment.

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THREE: Distancing

Keeping in mind households and how many “groupings” will need to be socially distanced will help when planning. Remember this for your ceremony seating and dinner seating. For example if there are 4 “households” total you will want to put the corresponding number of chairs in groups that are 6ft apart at the ceremony and then also have the households sit together for dinner.

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FOUR: Leave these “typical” wedding traditions out

• No cocktail hour: Traditionally this portion of the evening is for strictly mingling. And since we are trying to distance this has been cut out of the micro wedding timeline for the time being. Also, tray passed and stationed food is currently not safe so that takes away our appetizers. But that’s okay- if you still want to serve appetizers just have them taken straight to the dinner table as soon as guests sit.
• Buffet is out Plated is IN: for sanitary purposes plated is much safer and most caterers are not offering buffet services at this time. A great alternative can also be little to-go bento boxes or charcuterie. These are safely individually packaged and guests can take home or eat on socially distanced blankets as a picnic.
• Dancing: this doesn’t mean all dancing! It is still safe to have your first dance and parent dances. A lot of venues are currently not allowing an open dance floor due to the amount of contact that usually involves.

I hope these tips were helpful on how to have a safe micro wedding. If you’re looking for more tips or thoughts on micro weddings vs elopements check out my other blog post HERE.