With everything going on right now with COVID-19 bride and grooms are being forced to postpone their weddings, especially here in Tampa with the cases skyrocketing in Florida these days. So naturally many couples are looking for different options for their “I Do’s” rather than canceling the wedding all together. If you were planning on getting married this summer or fall in St Pete or Sarasota but because of the virus are now having to come up with a new plan you might consider these options and an alternative.
AN ELOPEMENT
An elopement is a very small wedding that includes the bride and groom, officiant, and a sometimes a few witnesses, such as one bridesmaid and and one groomsmen. If you like the idea of having a very private and intimate wedding an elopement might the right fit for you!
A MINIMMONY
What exactly is a minimony? A minimony is a mini ceremony held with a small number (10-15 max) of your closest family and friends. It could be compared to a commitment ceremony that completes the legal side of the marriage. Having a minimony allows you to move forward with your original wedding date (taking into consideration the coronavirus), take care of the legal side of marriage, and then moving forward with planning and rescheduling the reception at a later date if so desired.
A MIRCO WEDDING
A micro wedding typically include a guest list of up to 50 guests in attendance. Essentially is a much smaller scaled down traditional wedding. You could call a micro wedding the perfect combination of a minimally / small wedding and a big, traditional wedding. At a micro wedding you still have several of the traditional vendors and traditions that happen on a big wedding but a micro wedding is more manageable in size and with less guests in attendance.
If an elopement sounds like exactly what fits your couples style then plan the elopement of your dreams! However, if a minimony followed by the reception of your dreams (at a later date) with all your friends and family there then that’s wonderful. And if a micro wedding sounds like the perfect compromise then it’s a great way to commemorate your wedding day in a way that you really wanted. So what do you think? Which option appeals more to you?
Nina Bashaw is a Tampa, FL based fine art luxury photographer that specializes in senior portraits, lifestyle headshots, weddings, and elopements throughout the southeast and is available for worldwide travel.
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