So, 2020 wasn’t quite how we’d planned, and no amount of wedding advice would have prepared all of the unfortunate couples about how to deal with cancelled weddings during a global pandemic! Here at Food Craft, - the Premier Outdoor Catering Company, our experienced wedding caterers are on hand to deal with all eventualities and we’re already planning for all of the fabulous 2021 weddings that are still to come. If you’re a couple whose cancelled weddings are now re-scheduled or perhaps you’re newly engaged and looking for wedding advice in these ‘new normal’ times, we’ve put together a few important pointers on how to navigate the important process of finding your perfect wedding venue, social distanced and all!

Virtual Tours

You may have a definite idea on how you want your day to be from the outset including your dream setting but it’s always best to be open to what you may find when you begin your venue search and just like zoom work calls and digital house viewings, government guidelines and cancelled weddings have now encouraged venues to re-think their booking process. Virtual tours are now the norm and can allow couples to view a huge range of unique weddings venues from the comfort of their own home. 2021 weddings are already being prepared for in a way they never have, and new processes are in place to make planning as easy as possible whilst maintaining social distance restrictions which now include virtual tours as part of the first steps.

Video calls with Venues

Virtual tours can be great to get a feel for a place, but they don’t replace the necessity to be able to speak one on one with your wedding venue. Once you have your top choices the next step would be to set up a video call with the events team. This can allow them to show you parts of the venue the virtual tour may not have covered and also pick their brains on how they have adapted their processes to allow for the new regulations. A video call is an opportunity to gather as much wedding advice from the experts as you can and it’s really important to establish their policy on cancelled weddings should there be a repeat of the problems faced for 2021 weddings.

Cheaper Dates

An important wedding advice tip when you start your planning is to establish from the start which day you would like to tie the knot. Popular and unique wedding venues can be booked up years in advance and prices generally rise in the sought-after winter months. Does the day of the week you chose to wed make a difference to your plans? A weekday service could also mean that you can book the first choices on your list without any compromise. Unique wedding venues and a popular wedding caterer will have a lot more availability through the week, especially given they are set to be twice as in-demand due to all of the cancelled weddings of the last year.

Outdoor Weddings

Holding an outdoor event may not sound like the best wedding advice given the reliability of the great British weather, but due to the government’s social distancing guidelines and the encouragement of outdoor gatherings as appose to indoor parties, 2021 weddings are set to be more al fresco than ever before. Outdoor weddings are a great way to enable more guests to attend your big day and there are so many beautiful unique wedding venues that are fully functional in all weather conditions. As wedding caterers we have worked with outdoor weddings in all seasons, there’s something so special about celebrating with newly-weds under the stars amongst the beautiful backdrop of nature. It is surprising how a marquee and some outdoors can transform a space into a unique wedding venue that is as equally as warm and welcoming as any indoor setting.

Live Streaming Options

Zoom may not be something we were familiar with this time last year but the past few months have shown that a virtual live-streamed ceremony was a brilliant alternative for a lot of cancelled weddings, bringing guests together from all over the world at the touch of a button. Live streaming is a great way to allow more guests to enjoy your celebrations when numbers are restricted and is definitely an option to consider when planning for the capacity of your 2021 wedding. A wedding caterer can put together some brilliant options for food hampers to allow your guests to enjoy your day no matter where they may be.

Small Numbers in Attendance

As weddings parties have been significantly reduced in size by law this year, smaller more intimate receptions are set to continue into next year for 2021 weddings. Opting for a smaller guest list can be a great bit of wedding advice as it cuts out a lot of the stress involved with larger receptions and also allows you to put more of the budget into other elements of your big day including using a unique wedding venue that may have been out of your reach or a special wedding caterer that would have otherwise been too pricey.

Socially Distanced Seating Plans

Seating your guests whilst allowing for social distance can be a tricky task for 2021 weddings. Traditional tables and dining options may no longer be viable, and your party may also not be yet comfortable in a busy environment. Wedding advice to consider when negotiating the new normal is to consider the option of staggering your guests. Inviting your guests to join you for different parts of your day can allow smaller groups to sit together and join in your celebration which allows for social distance without compromising on intimacy.

Our team of best wedding caterers are on hand to provide a wealth of wedding advice from how to reschedule cancelled weddings to how to find the best unique wedding venues. Please get in touch here and we’ll be happy to chat over all of your needs.