Like many brides who have had to rethink their wedding plans this past year, I had the unique experience of planning a “pandemic wedding.” I decided to take advantage of the circumstances at hand to create an intimate, elopement-style wedding this past March. We had a grand total of 8 people, a very cold but blue Pittsburgh day, and a Mount Washington Grandview pod.
One of the main things I learned while planning our small wedding is how to prioritize the most important desires for our day. If I could pass on any pandemic bride tips, it would be these:
1. Outside of creating the ceremony the way you want it, the next most important thing for me was the people who are there to witness. While being able to use Covid as an easy excuse to why we aren’t inviting many people, I wish every future bride would feel that sense of freedom—no excuse needed. Invite who you truly want to be there. By slimming down the guest list, you can spend more time and share a lot more laughs with the people who matter most to you.
2. Leave room for spontaneity. This is especially important for any outdoor wedding! Pittsburgh weather likes to keep you on your toes, and I generally don’t trust my weather app until day of. A March wedding meant we could have anywhere from a 70 degree day to a 20 degree day. We landed on 37 degrees and laughed our way through the ceremony as my groom snuck me handwarmers.
3. Invest in those who are in the most inner circle. Gifts are a love language and I love finding the perfect gift for my loved ones. With our wedding being only 8 people, we were able to invest in quality thank you gifts for our guests. Our family, officiant, and photographer all had these lovely thank you bags--a cookie table to-go box (by Grandview Bakery), our Cookie Table Candle (everyone LOVED this), and our Beautiful Day Card.
I hope all of you 2021 brides get to have the loveliest day with your loved ones!
Photographer: Dawn Derbyshire Photography
Bouquet: Armful of Flowers