Brandi Rollins Photography_Wedding_10_1.

PERFECT COVID WEDDINGS

INTIMACY. CONNECTION. PERSONALITY.

Maybe, just maybe, Covid did not ruin your wedding...

Yep, I said it! But, don't click away...this isn't clickbait...just hear me out. I promise, you will view things differently by the end of this PSA (lol).

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So, Covid threw a wrench into your wedding plans. It is (or was) a huge bummer or disappointment for you and your family. I completely get it. So now, maybe, you have decided to just do the ceremony now and get it over with so you can be married.

But, here's the thing...

The day you choose to marry the love of your life will be a day that you remember for the rest of your life. It will automatically be special. You will remember the feeling of watching your love walk down the aisle, and give you their hand in complete trust. You will remember the glances you shared as you speak your vows...committing to each other as partners, lovers, and best friends. These moments will happen no matter if you are in a big ballroom surrounded by 200 people, or at your favorite park surrounded by your closest 12 people. Covid might have taken away the pomp and circumstance (and stress) of a large wedding, and recked your plans, but it has not taken away the part of your wedding that truly matters...that you are marrying the love of your life.

Over the past few months, a lot of couples have reached out to me to photograph their wedding during Covid and I can hear the disappointment in their voices. They had to cancel their big wedding and downsize it to something smaller. They feel that their wedding will now be less than what they had hoped for. But what I have found is that Covid weddings, and small weddings in general, are some of the most beautiful ceremonies and events that I have ever witnessed.

Covid has stripped down weddings and made us focus on the people that we love. Instead, of the stress and logistics that burden couples on their wedding day (even when there is a wedding planner), they can now spend their wedding day fully enjoying one another and their closest people. Instead of their day being full of BUSYNESS...it is now full of INTIMACY and CONNECTION.

During Covid, brides and grooms are being afforded an opportunity to celebrate their love in a way that truly looks and feels like them, and that looks like their families and friends. For example, one of the things that I suggest to my clients is that they invest in sentimental opportunities to make their wedding day extra special. If there is a parent who cannot attend, have him or her write a letter to be read at the ceremony by the parent (or a friend) who are present. Imagine how beautiful it would be for your new mother-in-law to read a sentimental letter written by your mother who couldn't attend. It is moments like this that bring new families together. Or maybe one of your friends sings or plays a song, or tells funny stories of how you and your partner met. Not only will everyone laugh, you will remember all the beautiful moments you shared with this friend over the years. Make the people most important to you (including your furry family) a part of the ceremony.

But don't stop there. Get crafty! Or have a friend and family member get crafty! Just because a wedding day is small, it doesn't mean that your decor can't be BOMB ASS DIGGITY. Lol, yes, I am a kid of the 90s. Go Etsy crazy and decorate the table for an exquisite lunch. Order amazing food from your favorite restaurant and serve everything in beautiful bowls (maybe, just maybe, it is your parent's wedding china). Have lots of wine and champange, and fancy glasses. Sprinkle rose petals or eucalyptus leaves (go real, not fake) on the table and add a tremdendous amount of candles. CREATE LAYERS OF ELEGANCE! After all, you are not serving 200 people. When you have 20 guests or less, it becomes easier and more affordableto go BIG! And if you happen to have your wedding day in a backyard with a pool, have everyone jump in for an awesome photo and moment that no one will forget. There is no pre-written script for a Covid wedding and you can literally do anything you want.

And lastly, when you have a small wedding, you can be married in some of the most amazing locations for cheap or free. Have everyone gather along your favorite trail or cliff, or beach, or lake, or [insert amazing location here]....and simply get married! Because there are only a few of you (and as long as you are socially distanced), you can easily make a beautiful spot your ceremony location.

And remember...you can always have a bigger party next year! Imagine how it will feel to recommit to the love of your life all over again?! Seriously,...HOW AMAZING! Lol.

Lastly, I will leave you with this....