Coronavirus or not, one thing is certain: People will find each other, they will fall in love, and somehow, they will say their vows.
“Love is going to survive this,” said Kate Edmonds, a wedding and event planner in New York. “I don’t think it’s emotionally sound to keep postponing weddings. There needs to be something to celebrate.”
And celebrate they will. It just may take some finessing and extra planning.
According to a May survey by the Knot, 66 percent of 6,253 respondents across eight countries are rescheduling to a later date. Of these, 40 percent are postponing to later in 2020, 52 percent to 2021 and 8 percent aren’t sure of their new date. (The study was conducted among users of the Knot’s brands, including WeddingWire, Bodas and Hitched.)
But how people marry will evolve, and many of the adjustments that we’ve seen over the last few months are here to stay. Kristen Maxwell, the Knot’s editor in chief, expects 2021 to have a greater focus on health and safety. Masks and gloves will become de rigueur, as will hand-sanitizing stations (and sanitizers as party favors), numerous dance areas and bars, several smaller celebrations, and the rise of the “minimony,” or microceremony. There will be more room for standing, socially distance seating, and a “gesture” line rather than a receiving line, where guests wave or nod instead of hug or kiss.
