During the 2020 COVID outbreak many weddings were moved outdoors as statewide protocol indicated more guests allowed for a wedding outside vs inside. In Connecticut you could have 100 guests outdoors with only 25 allowed indoors. One would think this was a setback, but not really.
As a professional wedding DJ with Music In Motion Entertainment based in Oxford Connecticut I have over 30 years of wedding experience. I’ve seen thousands of receptions from intimate to over 1000 guests. As much as I love many of the beautiful venues here in New England there is something extra special about an outdoor wedding celebration!
Yes, COVID changed the game for 2020 and couples faced 2 options. Postpone or move forward with a outdoor event. Even though the majority of our clients chose to postpone to 2021 the ones who continued forward really had a treat!
The key to having a great outdoor wedding is a really nice tent with a solid dance floor and a fantastic caterer. And a tremendous DJ, of course 😉 Done correctly a outdoor wedding can be as amazing as anything found indoors. Backyard weddings at the parent’s home came be very sentimental and personal. We performed weddings at camp sites, under park pavilions and even in a gazebo on a lake in the Adirondacks. That couple had planned for a wedding at a fancy venue in New York state but with governor Cuomo limiting gatherings and putting up a rule for NO DANCING this couple decided to move things to their uncle’s lake front cabin. The couple danced their wedding song as the sun set in the background. It could not have been better if they had their original plans. It was stunning!
With all that was wrong with 2020, and there was a lot wrong, there were some brilliant moments. Mainly how our couples responded to make lemonade out of lemons. And for our couples the lemonaide was very sweet! So many awesome celebrations happened and even with those horrible masks and social distancing guests made it work and still found plenty of room on the dance floor.
For some folks this was the first time out in months and having a reason to celebrate in 2020 was truly a blessing!
As 2021 looms on the horizon there is no doubt that the pandemic will not just go away. In fact, vaccines will take time to distribute beginning with the most vulnerable and working through vital work force and finally the general population. Chances are that by Spring 2021 weddings will still have a need to be held outdoors with greater amounts of guests allowed as compared to indoors.
Whether you have to be outside or want to be by choice there are so many possibilities for a beautiful wedding.
Consider all the possibilities and let your creativity run wild!