The wedding and hospitality industries have done nothing short of magic when it comes to transforming our businesses to make wedding celebrations safe and joyful. A few tried and true tips from safe and stunning weddings in 2020 will continent to have value in 2021-2022 and the future as COVID weddings continue to prove nothing is impossible!

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• Ceremony setups have been re-envisioned! Instead of linear aisles work with your planner and venue to come up with original chair layouts by "household", "family" or "friend group." This also allows you to add the touch of personal signage with a seating chart or seating cards to help direct guests to their safe and grouped seating. This especially looks beautiful in a circular seating pattern where the groups of guests seem to radiate out from the alter.

• Guests are more accommodating than ever. Guests expect the unexpected and are more than willing to go with the flow! Having a temperature check at the welcome table in exchange for "drink tickets" or "photo booth access" is a great way to encourage a safe check-in while also giving guests something to look forward to in their "reward" for taking their temperature. Have fun with this and personalize those tickets!

• Sharing your wedding day with your grandparents is a privilege and a special part that can never be replaced. There are many variables you and they will need to consider to make their attendance safe and meaningful. One creative timeline change is to build in "first-look" and family time before the ceremony with your grandparents -- away from the rest of your guests. We've seen grandparents be overjoyed with these changes allowing for intimate moments followed by socially distanced seating at the ceremony in place of reception attendance.

• There are amazing and adorable Etsy shops with COVID-WEDDING signage to help guests navigate and remember best practices.

• And talk to your or our favorite cookie shops about creating individually wrapped cookies instead of cake to avoid high-touch transfer of dessert items! We love Bastrop Cookie Shoppee.