Everything you need to know to have a physically distant dream wedding

With many limitations on social gatherings, it's so secret that the wedding industry has taken a huge hit during this pandemic. However, some couples are willing to make compromises on their "dream day" by having physically distant celebrations within their social bubbles. Entertaining expert Bisma Bhatti shared her top tips for planning a micro-event or wedding during this time: 

THE LEGAL STUFF

There is a difference between being symbolically married and being legally married in Canada. To be legally married you need a marriage licence, which requires a visit to your city clerks office. You'll need to fill out a marriage application form and provide two pieces of ID for each partner. This licence is valid for 90 days and you can have it officiated at either the courthouse or by a certified officiant. Service Ontario has a list that you can reference, which has all the names of registered religious officiants on it to make sure your wedding is legal. After you get it signed, you have to return the licence, signed by all parties involved, and then you’ll get your marriage certificate.

Due to COVID-19, a lot of municipalities are not issuing marriage licences or allowing you to have a court-house wedding. The ones that require an appointment (which is sometimes back-logged for a few months), If you are looking to get married, make sure you check which municipalities are offering marriage licences and try to get yours in well in advance before making any solid plans.

Remember to check your provincial and city bylaws regarding COVID-19 restrictions. Some provinces are allowing events of 100+ while others are still limited to 5 or 10 people. These limits vary for outdoor vs. indoor spaces.

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

Once you’ve sorted out logistics and know when you're able to get married, send out a change of date instead of a save the date. If you want to go paperless, consider setting up or updating your wedding website to send a digital invite. Make sure you break it down by event as each one may have different rules.

You can sign your legal papers at the courthouse with a religious officiant or you can take advantage of the weather and exchange your vows outdoors in front of your friends and family. Have ceremony chairs set up in clusters of family or members of the same household and Zoom everyone else in if you can.

For your reception, individually boxed personalized desserts/or slices of cake for all of your guests to enjoy is a great alternative. That way, guests who can’t attend in person can join you over Zoom when you cut your cake.

TRY SOMETHING NEW

We may not be in Vegas, but Niagara Falls has a drive-thru wedding service: Elope Niagara Little Log Wedding Chapel and Drive through kiosk with wedding packages starting at $295. It can just be you and your partner, or you can include a limited amount of guests as well. If a drive-thru wedding is not for you, this is the best time for an elopement without your family getting mad at you! So if a drive-thru wedding is not for you, take advantage of Canadian travel and elope in nature, a castle, or historical monument.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DISCOUNTS

Some traditional wedding venues are also offering mini packages (or micro wedding packages). The packages include everything you need to get married with a reduced guest count for a reduced price. If you wanted to get married at a venue you maybe couldn't afford, or wasn't available on your date, check with them to see what they are offering! 

BOOK A PHOTOSHOOT

If you decide to have a more intimate affair but still want to capture those special moments, photographers and videographers are offering reduced packages for couples who want to capture their love through photography. These mini shoots/adventure shoots are a great way to remember the day but also to showcase the love you have for each other. Plus, you get to practice all of those poses for the official day!

WHAT TO WEAR

While many brides already have that perfect dress pictured, you can use this as an opportunity to wear that cute party dress or pant-suit you really wanted! Your wedding, your rules. If you're set in stone on something more traditional, dress and bridal salons have discounted ones that you can buy off the rack. Sometimes they are samples, or discontinued models they are trying to sell. Call your local bridal salons ahead of time to see if they have a selection of sale gowns you can shop from.

DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU

For those of you who want to keep it low-key, remember, you don’t have to celebrate! Just because you’ve rescheduled your wedding, doesn’t mean you have to do anything now. But at the very least, try and plan an at-home date night with your partner. Make a meal together or order food with a meal delivery service and just spend the night celebrating each other. Keep in mind that if you do get married now, you can hold off the party until next year!