PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Planning a wedding is stressful. Planning a wedding during a pandemic – now that’s not something anyone expected to do in their lifetime. 

Oregon has been feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for nearly a year. Many couples who were hoping to tie the knot in 2020 have postponed to 2021. Now, with restrictions still in place and vaccine distribution taking longer than anticipated, some are considering postponing their plans again. 

KOIN 6 News asked wedding vendors and venue owners for their advice for those planning to say “I do” in 2021. 

Advice from Cindy Lindsley, owner of Peachy Keen Coordination: 

  • Read your contracts carefully and ask about COVID-19 and postponement policies. Budget for any additional charges that could incur.
  • Keep moving forward. There’s lots of alternative ways to wedding plan, even during a pandemic. Continuing your planning and bookings also supports many small businesses right now who are heavily impacted by the executive orders and risk assessments.
  • Give some extra grace time for your vendors to respond. Remember that many of them may be operating with fewer staff or could be helping their children with distance learning from home. 
  • Prioritize and color code your desired guest list into groups of 50 and don’t forget to include your vendors in the group with the highest priority. This way it will be easier to quickly reduce your guest list if you need to.  
  • Pandemic or not, trust the vendors that you hire. You chose them for a reason and they do their best work when you give them freedom and flexibility.   
  • Have a Plan B and maybe even Plan C in mind from the get-go and be prepared to go with the backup plan. It may mean finding a new venue with different county guidelines, a postponed date, or a smaller guest list.
  • Put your marriage before your wedding. Remember that this is a day that exists firstly because of your love, however, you ultimately decide to celebrate it. 
  • From a vendor perspective, gratitude goes a long way right now. Vendors welcome social media shout-outs and random encouraging tests. Lindsley said they are servicing in ways they never have before and many are working around the clock. 

Advice from Chas Thomas, owner of Wildflower Portland: 

Be just as excited for your Plan B as you are for your Plan A. 

“I think a lot of times people have their idea – this is what the day needs to look like – and are getting their dreams crushed, some multiple times, when you don’t have to. We live in such a great state with so many amazing vendors and venues. Have a couple of ideas and then be flexible,” Thomas said. 

Advice from wedding photographer Casi Yost: 

You don’t always have to do everything that’s expected of you on your wedding day.

“If you don’t want to throw a bouquet, you don’t have to. If you don’t want to have the shoe game or have favors for all of your guests, you don’t have to. You should do what is important to you because this is one day that’s supposed to celebrate your love,” Yost said. 

Advice from Kari Ramey, owner of Zenith Vineyard, a wedding venue: 

Look at a venue and what they can do for you for the size of wedding you’re expecting to have.

“For goodness sakes, go visit and talk with the venue owners or the representatives,” Ramey said. “They’re going to be very frank because none of us want to cancel events and none of us want to, you know, have an issue with broken expectations.” 

Advice from Johannah Zuniga, owner of Dream Cakes: 

“Try not to just stress and be stoked that you’re getting married and have fun as much as you can, just be realistic about it. Don’t get anybody sick and wear a mask.”