I know what you're thinking - not another blog about Covid (rolls eyes, closes browser tab, googles funny cat meme).  Don't worry, this is a lot less about the virus and more about the decisions we are all making to let love win.  We can all agree that tensions are high about almost everything right now which makes it an ever greater accomplishment when we can find some beauty in this mess.  While most weddings and events this year have been rescheduled, re-imagined in a virtual capacity or outright cancelled - some clients have moved forward with small gatherings.  Together we have been able to get our brides down the aisle with some careful adjustments and a lot of hand sanitizer.

 Some of the biggest weddings we work with are for our South Asian brides.  Generally these events have guests in attendance from all over the world, a multitude of vendors from different parts of the country, they usually exceed over 300 people and do not forget about the dancing.  Janaki's wedding was going to be no different, until Covid changed all of that.  What was to be a major event at the Albany Capital Center for more then 400 has morphed into an intimate wedding at home in Selkirk with 50 close family members.  With the uncertainty of when things will be safe for large events, waiting for an undetermined amount of time wasn't ideal, "making the change from large to small, we really wrestled with the idea and how we were going to execute."  Moving everything to their family residence in Selkirk, support of their family and friends (even the ones who were no longer attending) and minimizing vendors to limit complexity and contacts has allowed Janaki to have a wedding in the works for August.  "Our rental and decor needs were completely different from the original large wedding plans, but Total Events was very understanding and flexible.  Total Events asked what can we do to help your vision...support through the process was amazing."

We have moved several weddings to locations at private homes, but that isn't an option for everyone.  Gina didn't want to let her dream of getting married at The Sagamore in beautiful Lake George slip away.  "My Fiance and I agreed early on that postponing was probably not the best option for us. The idea of wedding planning for another year was frightening and we really didn't want to put our lives on hold any longer."  Working with The Sagamore and keeping an eye on the New York State orders, Gina kept her date and began to pair down her guest list.  "We were always ok with having to limit our guest list to a certain point but it has been extremely difficult to limit it to only 50 people. Our toughest decision came when we had to exclude our aunts, uncles, and cousins from the festivities. Ultimately, after many phone calls, we found that our families understood  and supported our choice to move forward even though they could not be a part of our special day."  Keeping the details of her 160 person wedding intact but reduced, Gina got creative and booked a rental property for her guests to spend the week where distancing wasn't a problem and relaxation was the reward for enduring all this stress.  

"At the end of the day, the most important factor for us is making it a memorable and fun weekend for our guests. We have done everything within our power to make this a special day for everyone included. It may not be your "traditional" wedding weekend but when we sat back and thought about what matters most we realized it's spending time with (most) our loved ones and celebrating this new chapter of life."

Granted, these modifications didn't come easy for our brides.  There is no right or wrong in choosing to have nuptials now versus postponing.   But couples should not be turned away just because they don't think they can have a special, memorable wedding day.  Melissa Brown of SBM Events has been helping clients transition to "Sweet Petite Celebrations".  "You can actually do more in the details with a smaller wedding" Brown says.  For a beautiful wedding at the Renaissance Hotel in Albany, Brown surveyed all the guests and had their favorite drinks and meals at their seat.  Each napkin was embroidered with the couples monogram that the couple could then have these for their home celebrations.  To complete a very custom reception Ghost chairs were accented with beautiful ponies and tables were set with gold flatware - these are details that might be cost prohibitive for a 200+ person wedding, but for a 20 person reception they are very reasonable. Thinking outside of the guests who could be in attendance, "virtual guests" created greetings to share with the couple and received a celebration box that reflected the spirit of the day and the couple.

So there you have it folks!  All is not lost.  I mean, a lot has been lost - but the spirit of why we do these things ins't gone.  While we are in this transition for a while, it's important to remember that there are ways to make your magic happen.  Even though we are not maxing out ballrooms and squeezing an extra chair into a full table setting anymore, that's ok.  What is consistent is that the love, happiness and excitement still vibrate through the air on wedding day.  It's a tangible feeling everyone in the hospitality industry can tell you about.  As we look ahead to days filled with our favorite friendors, loading trucks well into the night, juggling equipment from one event to the other we are still appreciative that we can be a part of making a few dreams come true. 

Thumbnail photo by: YTK Photography