Weddings are a huge part of my business and we have had so many wonderful couples who have been forced to cancel or reschedule due to Covid 19. Now that the wedding industry is in a holding pattern, everyone wants to know the future of weddings. What’s new? What’s hot? Normally, I’m reticent to give my predictions because I don’t like to be proven wrong. In this case, I will tap into my 30 plus years of experience in the wedding industry to share my vision of what the future holds.
Many of you know that I’ve been involved with planning wedding celebrations for many years. I have seen trends come and go: some are amazing while others have been difficult to listen to with a straight face. Some are winners such as: Signature cocktails, natural eco-friendly décor and pop-up ceremonies. These will stand the test of time. However, there is one new trend, driven by the precautions we are all taking to keep our communities safe from Covid 19 that stands out as both practical and memorable: exceptional quality over indistinct quantity.

From what I see and hear from our cutting-edge event planning and catering clients, the new trend is the intimate wedding with bedazzling menus, superb wines and spirits, exceptional décor all set in an elegant outdoor space.

Many of our wedding couples had their 2020 weddings postponed due to Covid-19. To help them we are suggesting the following:

The pandemic has meant several restrictions to the number of people who can gather in one place.Worldwide results are getting much better and the world is starting to open up 🙂 Because we made the sacrifice in Canada, we expect infection rates to continue to improve. While this is great news it is still unlikely that weddings with 200 guests will be able to happen anytime soon. We recommend that you cut the guest list to 50 or less but use the existing budget to make everything exceptional.

Think unique and unexpected! If you lost your venue in 2020 or are being offered a less than desirable 2021 date, design the wedding of your dreams in an unexpected place. Perhaps a beautiful parking lot or a school campus. We provide completely customizable tenting solutions including clear structures or romantic sail cloth tents with dramatic lighting and florals. Outdoor locations allow for proper social distancing and ensure proper airflow for your guests’ safety.

Let your imagination soar! Feeding a large group can often mean you need to compromise to ensure fast service and to meet everyone’s tastes. With an intimate dinner you can instead bring on the champagne, caviar, Kobe beef and Atlantic lobster! Food is one of the most important and memorable components of a wedding! I was married 27 years ago; one of the things people still mention was the deliciousness and beauty of the food. If you delight your guests with a meal they will never forget it!

When you have to have a centrepiece on many tables, it is often the case that you need to compromise. Instead, hire an event decorator who fills the space with coloured light and hang the beautiful florals from the ceiling. Silver cutlery, stylish dinnerware, crystal glasses, beautiful chairs and textured table linens will make your day exceptional.  So many of us have been eating out of takeout boxes when we want a restaurant meal. I don’t know about you but I believe we have all had enough of plastic!

With large gatherings cancelled, people are craving live music. Hire an entertainment industry consultant: they will bring in a known music act that will get your fortunate 50 guests on their feet all night long and talk about for years to come!

a micro wedding is not the place for 10 groomsmen and bridesmaids. If you must, a best man and maid of honour, but otherwise it would be appropriate to bestow the honour onto all of your 50 cherished guests.

Treat yourself to the opportunity of being able to relive the special moments from your wedding day via video! Photos capture the moments, but videos capture the feeling and emotions. You can always take the video to share with the guests who were not able to make it to your wedding.
Or if you wanted to share your day with a larger crowd, consider a Hybrid event. Bring in flat screen monitors and arrange a Zoom party with your friends. Speak to your caterer, many are now doing home delivery of small trays. You can create satellite parties who can be connected by Zoom.

: take the guest list and reduce it to a more manageable size. Think of those who may not be able to travel, or who would be safer joining you by video link. Bring together those for whom you feel deep love and who you expect feel it for you and/or your partner. This will assemble a small but fierce army of dedicated souls who will help to guide you through life’s many battles. It will also make for the most memorable party of your life!

Just remember, we are here to help you. Our purpose is to “make hosting events easier”. How can we help you?