As we say goodbye to 2020 and hello to a new COVID-19 vaccine, we are all hoping for brighter days and happier wedding planning. Although we are all excited for COVID-19 to be "over," we can't ignore that some of the new social norms are here to stay and we have no choice but to adapt.
Seating
Long family-style tables are so unique and perfect for a trendy boho wedding. But even after COVID, guests may still feel wary about sitting so close to people they don't know. Consider doing separate tables, either round or farm style, and organizing them by household or close friend groups. This way your guests are more comfortable knowing who they are sitting with.
Food
Some people already erred a little closer to the germophobic side even before COVID when it came to food. So even afterwards, it will remain an area you should take extra care in. For your cocktail hour apps, try to avoid a stationed table and instead opt for butler passed hors d'oeuvres. This limits the number of people touching and breathing on the food. The same goes for your reception dinner. If you can, opt for a plated dinner instead of buffet. Plated style dinners can often times be more expensive than buffet so if it is not within your budget to choose plated service, I recommend at least requesting that your caterer provide service staff to man the buffet station and serve your guests instead of the guests serving themselves. This limits the number of people touching the serving utensils. Also, if you still choose to do buffet-style, have your guests released by table number instead of having everyone get up and gather around the food at the same time.
Gloves
Did you know it wasn't until 1894 that doctors and surgeons started to regularly use gloves during operations? And it wasn't until the 1980s that it became a mandated practice along with hand-washing? It's crazy to think that it took so long to realize that was a necessity. The same will be said for gloves in a few decades. Before 2020, it was normal for cooks, bartenders, makeup artists, etc. to not use gloves while performing their services. During and after 2020, that is going to be a severe norm-change. When meeting with your caterer, bar service, and other vendors, be sure to ask if they will be wearing gloves throughout the wedding and don't hesitate to request that they do.
Face Masks
Although, mask mandates will likely be lifting within the next few months with the release of the COVID vaccine, the face mask may still stick around by personal choice. Some people may start wearing them just as a normal precaution when traveling to crowded or unfamiliar places where their risk of contracting an airborne illness is higher; and this includes a wedding. People may start to carry around a face mask as commonly as they carry a bottle of hand sanitizer or lotion. This is very common in some Asian countries and may become almost as common in the U.S. Don't be surprised to still see a few people show up to your wedding in a face mask. Don't take offense to it and don't assume it's because they are suffering from mass paranoia, it's just a now normal precautionary measure just like hand washing.
