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Savvy April 2022

Shift wedding reception?

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Amanda, on December 30, 2020 at 11:13 PM

Has anyone done/heard of a shift wedding or open house? I am supposed to get married in April. I really do not want to push it back, but I also do not want to be unsafe with COVID. I was thinking we could have the ceremony to start with only bridal party members and immediate family and then invite the rest of our guests during short time slots. Most of our guests are within a 30-60 minute drive. We would have 25-30 people at a time in our venue space meant for 250 people, so plenty of room to stay socially distant. Any thoughta on how to make something like this fun and special for our guests?

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23 Comments

Master September 2019
Sarah · on December 31, 2020 at 11:34 AM
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Have you approached this with your venue? I can’t imagine they’re going to be ok with doing this. The amount of time and supplies it takes to disinfect a room meant for 250 people is a lot and having to do it multiple times in one day for one event? I don’t think any venue is going to take that on without charging you a lot of extra money for additional staff and supplies.
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Super November 2020
Natalie · on December 31, 2020 at 1:53 PM
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While your intentions are good, I’m just not sure that this would be worth it for all parties involved. Most people would be watching a ceremony virtually then have to get dressed up to stop by to say congratulations, drop off a gift, and get a to-go snack. Then clean and repeat. Scheduling these time slots could be a logistical nightmare as guests would likely be trying to change times up until last minute or show up at a different time since that is when their friend is going. The enjoyment of a reception is getting to socialize with others, eat or drinks, and watch the couple have their special moments— cutting cake, first dance, etc. This ultimately seems like an all-day receiving line. As a guest, I’d be fine watching virtually and knowing that the bride and groom were having a private little reception that they and a few select guests were able to enjoy.
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Dedicated May 2023
Katie · on January 7, 2021 at 4:33 PM
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Agreed! I know OP says that they have quite a few step-siblings, half-siblings, nieces and nephews - I know they are all family, but there have to be varying degrees of closeness in relationship where some of those people would be able to watch the ceremony virtually and understand it was due to COVID circumstances. That could get them under their 50-person limit (though I truly hope with vaccination that you may see that number get bumped up a bit!).
My FH has two sisters - one he is very close with, and one he is not close with at all. If I were in OP's circumstance, I'd be giving the second sister a link to the livestream. If they are truly family, they should be able to understand. You can always try having a larger celebration when these restrictions subside.
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