After I got engaged in July, I spent the rest of 2019 dreaming of what my wedding day would look like! I was hoping for a special bachelorette weekend with my best girl friends. The plan was to meet in Chicago, a half way point for most, since we were spread out around the country. Rather than “club-hopping,” we were going to go “brewery-hopping!” Very, very Sarah-esque.
But of course, it wouldn’t be a COVID wedding story without mentioning, well, COVID. March and April came and went in quarantine. Everything was still so up in air regarding whether we were actually going to go through with the wedding. All of a sudden it was July and we had to start making decisions or do nothing at all.
At some point, once you realize that things aren’t going to work out for you the way that you expected, you just throw your hands up and accept that whatever happens will happen. Michael and I decided that we still wanted to get married, no matter what. So that meant asking: “what will this wedding celebration look like?”
The bachelorette party was obviously out of the picture since no one could safely travel and Chicago was a hot spot. So, my mom, my aunt, and my best friend really stepped up and made my bridal shower a special day. Even though my mom was the real superhero with the planning here, I’ve compiled a list of some of the things we learned from this experience!
Accept that it’s not going to be perfect
I feel like this goes along with what I wrote above. Yes, this may be a little different from what you imagined, but it will still be a beautiful day full of love, celebrating you and your future husband, and that’s what really matters!
Make it as safe as you can
Please understand that there is risk with everything, but we opted to do everything as safe as we possibly could. My mom set tables up in the backyard and we partied outside. Thankfully, it was a bright and sunny day in August. We invited over only moms, sisters, aunts, and the girls in the wedding party. Luckily, it was a very small group and everyone had been taking the proper precautions ahead of time.
We were courteous and wore masks when indoors with one another. To include those who couldn’t be there in person, we set up an iPad so that they could be “there” via Zoom. We also gave everyone the option to do a drive-by if they wanted to. We had no takers for this unfortunately, even though I’ve heard of people having some fun showers that way!
Order boxed lunches
My mom ordered boxed lunches from a local bistro. This allowed everyone to safely get their own meal without having to dig into a buffet. What a life saver! When it was time for lunch, my mom simply pulled the boxed lunches out of the fridge, passed them around, and every was satisfied with a nice meal and dessert.
Don’t forget to play games
We still played games and had fun like you would at a regular bridal shower. For those who were on Zoom, we emailed them a copy of the game for them to print off themselves. It helped to pass the time and allowed me to socialize with those who were there in person as well as on screen!
Have the gifts mailed to you
We also opened gifts like you would at a regular bridal shower. Everyone mailed the gifts to our home. So, rather than opening wrapping paper and ribbons, I opened cardboard boxes which was an interesting challenge in itself. Where was my dad’s box cutter when I needed it?
My aunt did the decorations, which were so lovely. I chose a lemon theme because it was citrusy and bright and made me smile during such a tough time. Overall, it was such a beautiful day and a great memory to have. I feel so lucky to have been showered with such love from the women I love the most, and to celebrate such a special time in our lives.
Leave a Reply