Elopement on May 8, 2020

It sounds fine for you to keep your date and continue with your ceremony as is, actually!

Try to think about the future. Looking back, will you regret not having done it that day? Regardless of whether or not you can celebrate with others, it is your day. Will the memories be tainted by the lack of afterparties or will you be glad you did it on that special date? What matters most to you?

We also had to make a tough decision on the location of our wedding, but we realized that it was a very special place and though some people might not be able to make it, these are going to be our memories, not theirs! As much as we'd love everyone we know to make it, we would regret not doing it in the place that is so important to us.

Alternatively, if you're willing to wait a year you could always do it on that date again... or you could just get married that day and then have an afterparty in a few months.

This sounds fine. The two of you presumably already live together, fewer than ten people are involved, and the officiant and photographer will maintain social distance. You can always have dinners or celebrations later, when the pandemic has been contained.

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The question is not whether "some people might not be able to make it." No one should be invited, except perhaps immediate family (less than ten people total, including you two and the officiant). Even if people are willing to chance it, because they are not in a high risk group, they can end up giving it to others who are in a high risk group. Or getting it and needing hospital space/ventilators, which are in short supply right now. (A friend just had appendicitis, and her appendix ruptured because she avoided going to the hospital out of fear of COVID-19, so this affects more than just the people who get the virus.) And even if you think none of your guests have it, people are most infectious right before they start having symptoms.

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I think you misunderstood my comment. I'm not suggesting she invite people to her elopement. And my "some people might not be able to make it" has nothing to do with Coronavirus, it's related to my own wedding being 6 hours away.

My FH and I are doing the same think on 4/10/20. Just us, our officiant and a photographer, who will all maintain social distance rules. We are having our bigger celebration later (scheduled for June but I know that could change). What are your thoughts on making things special afterward? I am hoping for a nice walk outdoors, maybe some champagne and dinner delivered to our home.

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Ah, okay, I thought you were saying you were saying it would be okay to have a wedding with more than a few people now. What you're saying makes a lot more sense.

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Haha, noooooo. I ain't crazy

Sounds good. And you can have a reception if you choose to at a later date but at least you'll be married on the important date you wanted. I actually thought about doing that too but I'm still undecided.

We are doing the same thing on May 2. The date is what’s important to us and it’s going to be us, our officiant, two photographers and a videographer. We postponed our reception for a few months, but are still going to get married. Everyone else feels comfortable and that also mattered to me, thankfully everyone is still willing to do it that day!

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Thanks Carly - are you just doing it at home?

View Quoted Comment No, we are actually doing it in a woodsy area. So still no interaction with other people

I actually love the Idea Covid is already taken so much from us don't allow it to take your special date away as well. Go on with your elopement and plan the best wedding reception you can post Covid. Your family and fiends whom love and support you will be there to celebrate your union. Congrats and enjoy your new life!

We're doing the same thing on May 4. We have an officiant and photographer lined up and will just need one additional witness. We won't be including any friends or family as we just want this moment for us in light of everything going on. We'll be in a public park so maintaining distance won't be an issue. We postponed the big celebration to December. Silver lining, we get to include our dog in the ceremony which makes us both so very happy.