OPINION: ‘I’m a 2021 bride and no, you should not be having your 2020 wedding.’

Let me start by saying I love weddings. I’m not one of those people who complains when they receive their fifth wedding invitation for the year or the type who eye-rolls when a couple calls their wedding day "the best day of their lives."

I love seeing people in love and I definitely love celebrating love. But I also know what I’m going to say next, to anyone getting married in 2020 at least (or those trying to), will be deeply unpopular.

Should you be having your wedding in the middle of a global pandemic? Look, probably not. Actually, on second thought, make that definitely not.  

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As someone who is getting married in 2021, I completely get it. It’s a sh*t time for everyone, particularly those of us who happened to get engaged prior to the dumpster fire that this year descended into.

Being in the depths of planning my own wedding, I also know what you’re going to say in rebuttal. It sounds like this: 

‘But we’re enforcing the four square metre rule.’ 

‘But all of our guests will be seated.’ 

‘But we’re not having a dance floor.’ 

‘But we’re going to give our bridal party masks to match their outfits!’ 

The list goes on and I know you’re doing all you possibly can to hold onto the tiny sliver of hope that your wedding day can go ahead. You’re reading all the news updates, you’re talking to all the vendors, you’re abiding by all the rules and restrictions. 

Not to mention the fact that the wedding industry itself, is hurting too. From florists to bakers, photographers, videographers, performers, stylists, planners and everything in between, we all know the wedding industry provides and supports a lot of jobs. We want our weddings to go ahead not just for ourselves, but to support an industry that is struggling like so many. 

All of this considered, can I just put it to you this way with a few scenarios: 

How do you know that one of your wedding guests isn’t an anti-masker? 

How do you know that the cough your makeup artist has isn’t more than just a cough? 

How do you know that after a few wines, one of your cousins isn’t going to say bugger this and insists on leaving their table to hug and kiss all of your relatives? 

How do you know your mates aren’t just going to get on the dance floor to brighten up your day in a well-meaning way, but putting the elderly in the room at risk? 

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The bottom line is you don’t. Put simply, the health risks are just too high. And when you’re living through a global pandemic, looking after your own health and the health of those around you trumps everything else.

Just think for a moment how you would feel if one of your wedding guests, or many of them, contracted COVID-19 at your wedding. You likely wouldn’t look back on your day with fond memories. Short of having someone to martial guests in a hardhat, it all feels impossible. 

So I’m going to suggest this instead. Go ahead with a small, intimate wedding. I know not all of us have the luxury of waiting or we feel like putting off our wedding puts the rest of our life off too. Getting a house, starting a family, all of those things. And have a big party to celebrate later. 

When it comes to larger weddings on the other hand, there are just too many factors that are out of your control. 

The restrictions relating to weddings obviously vary from state to state - there are no weddings allowed in Victoria while South Australia can have up to 75, Queensland and the ACT up to 100, New South Wales 150, Tasmania 250 and Western Australia (abiding by two square metres) and the Northern Territory have no limits. 

Regardless of where you are, we all need to exercise some common sense and see that the risks are just too high.

On the smaller end of the spectrum, someone might see your big blowout wedding on social media and question, how is that okay? While on the bigger end of the spectrum, one of your guests could become seriously sick. 

So as a 2021 bride, no, you shouldn’t be having your 2020 wedding. In any case, it’s just not worth the risk. 

Are you postponing your 2020 wedding? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Feature Image: Getty.