Weddings during the Pandemic

As Puerto Rico prepare to officially open up and  return back to business and the tourism industry opens this next July 15, 2020 , there are a few things to consider or re consider as you  continue with your wedding plans or re scheduled your cancelled event because of Covid-19.  

There is no question that many events have been cancelled  and while others have been postponed  we have taken that time to re direct, prepare and educate ourselves to work during this pandemic.  The island of Puerto Rico has taken a strong approach to try lo minimize and eliminate the propagation of the desease by establishing strict measures to travelers to the island.   

It is very important that all travelers, our couples take this new measures into consideration and communicate them to their attending guests.   Communication is always a key factor to the success of any event and it is important that we stay inform of the new procedures established not only by  the local government  guided by the CDC recommendations but also by the wedding industry.  These new guidelines will be establish to ensure a safe event not only for the couple and their guest attending but also to ensure the safety of our fellow wedding vendors.   

At the moment the CDC is recommending and encouraging small events and gatherings,  in occasions only restricted to  groups of 10 people.  This is why is very important to stay inform of the latest guidelines of your wedding location.  This is why we recommend always hiring a Wedding Planner that is aware of the guidelines and new measures when it comes to events. 

As you sit down with your Fiancé and re design your event you may need to reduce your guest list and opt for one of the following :

It may not be what you originally planned for but it will be as beautiful as you dream it will be.  Sizing down your wedding does not became a negative thing.   Puerto Rico wedding vendors are and have been creating small events for a long time.  As Destination Weddings tend to be smaller groups we have photographed beautiful and intimate weddings for many years.  

From Garden weddings , Ocean front to Beach Weddings,  Puerto Rico is the right location for your wedding as one of the recommendations along with small groups is Outdoor Events. The west side of the island offers a variety of Wedding Venues ranging from beach front hotels to luxury Ocean Front Villas. 

While these images are before the Pandemic, seating set up will have to be specially worked and planned  with your Wedding Coordinator. Seating charts not only will be for the reception but  now wedding ceremonies will   be included.  We will begin to see  assign seating during the ceremony.   Making sure the location of the chairs will be separate by households always keeping the safe distance of at least six feet. 

Outdoor reception areas can be beautifully design keeping in order with CDC guidelines from tables  with less guests consisting of family members that live together instead of guest from different households.  Tables separated  and spread across the reception venue.  Buffets will be a thing of the past and Plated Dinners will be the norm.  If a Platted served option is not possible for your budget think about family style dinners or having a very organized per table Buffet , where each table has its turn to go to the buffet area in order to avoid a crowded buffet area. 

Sanitary stations will be on trend on future weddings distributed on different points trough-out the venue.  Promoting hand sanitizers and constant hand cleaning among guests and present wedding vendors. A dedicated bathroom employee who makes sure the bathroom is clean and ready for each guest who used it, to vendors wearing their face coverings  all times. 

Face coverings may be a new wedding favor along with small bottles of hand sanitizer.  It sure is a time to stay healthy and at the same time creative.  The truth is that you will need to stay in touch and  in constant communication with your wedding coordinator to ensure the right procedures when it comes to establishing clean venues before , during and after the event. 

We know how important is is your wedding day and you would love to share that special moment with the people that you love and are closest to you , but we also know that during these times it is important to consider you guests, we want grandma or grandpa or even our older parents to be present but we also want them to be safe.  AS an option for those who are un able to attend for health reasons or just because you need it to cut down on your wedding list,  having a virtual wedding is a better option.   During our lockdown we manage to stay connected with our family members , school mates and co workers via video-chat and it should not come as a surprise the possibility or hiring a videographer to record the event but also streaming the event so your loved ones can see the event in real time.  

If and when you decide to continue with your plans and we encourage you to do so,  the most important element to a successful and healthy event is communication.   An open and honest communication with your Wedding Coordinator and also your Wedding Vendors is important.  Find out what are their procedure and policies to ensure not only their own safety but your own and your guest.  Keep also a good and constant communication with your wedding guest,  create a facebook group or   a wedding page in order to keep them up to date inform with procedures , requirements and changes.  Familiarize yourself with CDC guidelines and the latest guidelines for your wedding location.