With the gradual easing of restrictions in most parts of Australia, weddings are getting back into full swing. However, for the foreseeable future, weddings will be quite different to those celebrated in pre-pandemic times. Barlens is one of Australia’s trusted providers of wedding party supplies and we are dedicated to offering high quality marquees, hire furniture and all other supplies you need to create a memorable event. If you are planning your big day, in addition to staying on top of and adhering to government restrictions, there’s a few things you can do to help ensure your big day is as COVID-safe as possible.
Smaller is Better
The number of guests that can attend a wedding varies from state to state, the size of the venue, and whether the wedding is inside or outside. However, even if you are permitted to have 100 guests or more, the fewer you invite, the better and that is for a couple of reasons – the first to reduce the risk of transmission if there happens to be a guest who attends unaware they have the virus, and to reduce the risk of culling your guest list if capacity limits are reduced again.
Outdoor Wedding Spaces Should be a High Priority
The best venues for a COVID-safe wedding are outdoors in the fresh air, with natural ventilation and lots of space. An ideal solution is to hire a marquee as these allow flexibility and fresh air whilst still allowing amazing views and a cosy ambience. When considering hiring a marquee for an outdoor wedding, you should hire the right size to ensure you have an abundance of space to allow for a socially distanced seating plan and ensure continuous air flow and natural ventilation by hiring marquee with open sides or removable sidewalls.
Make Use of Glass Tags
Wine glass charms and tags have been around for years, but never have they been so important. By placing an easily identifiable tag on each guest’s glass, there will be no confusion about which one they should use. This is a great way to minimise the chance of contaminating glassware and possibly transferring the virus. You could even make a personalised tag for each guest as a unique wedding favour.
Skip the Buffet
It’s important that food and utensils aren’t shared, so this means buffets, serveries and sharing platters are out. That certainly doesn’t mean your loved ones will go hungry. Opt for a lavish multi-course feast or a lengthy tasting menu with more attention to detail such as matching wines or spirits to accompany each course. You could even work with your caterer to create a bespoke menu, inspired by a family recipe or personal love of a particular cuisine.
Be Creative with Decor
Planning a COVID-safe wedding doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on style. While you may need to incorporate sanitising stations, masks and social distancing signage there are clever and fun ways to it. There are now many companies offering personalised face masks and mini sanitisers that you can use instead of traditional favours. You can make sanitising stations pretty to tie in with your theme, and use cute signage such as “spread love, not germs” to remind guests to be COVID-safe throughout the event.
Be Inventive with Entertainment
Currently the general advice is to forgo vigorous dancing as it invites close contact combined with aerobic activity. That doesn’t mean you can’t still have live music. Instead of band, opt for a duo or string quartet. While there may be less dancing, soft live music creates a warm atmosphere and a nice backdrop for guests to listen to whilst they eat and chat with friends and family. If you have your heart set on a buzzing dancefloor, try to incorporate one outdoors or in an alfresco area where dancers can be easily socially distanced. Another great way to entertain guests without dancing is with contactless outdoor games. These are the perfect way to entertain people of all ages and they don’t necessarily have to be in close proximity to each other to have fun.
In this uncertain time, it’s difficult to plan and host a wedding, but if you are flexible, adaptable and open to incorporating some unique ideas, you can still have the wedding of your dreams and celebrate with your nearest and dearest.
If you are planning a wedding and want it to be as COVID-safe as possible, the team at Barlens is here to help. We have a great range of marquees for hire to accommodate outdoor wedding parties of all sizes, and our experts will help you select the right size and style for you to ensure maximum safety. We can also help with all the wedding supplies you need from glassware to outdoor games. Get in touch with us today to find out more.
