What to Know If You’re Planning a Wedding/Event During the Coronavirus Pandemic

What to Know If You’re Planning a Wedding/Event During the Coronavirus Pandemic

In many parts of the United States, it has been proven repeatedly that events and gatherings can be held safely without spreading COVID-19 through its guest list. The events don’t look like the photos from your friend’s wedding in 2019 with a packed ballroom and people dancing and singing arm in arm, but it can be done.

Look around the country. 

At Live Nation amphitheaters, the concert giant is having socially distanced, drive in shows with thousands of people.

At The Bend in North Charleston, a series of sold out concerts drew thousands to enjoy music in the fields over the course of several months.

In Seminole County Florida, a local chamber has hosted nearly 100 live events since June – all indoor – without one known case of COVID transmission.

In all cases, each of the events has very specific protocols for safety that are easy for you to replicate at your event. 

1. Understand you will have limited seating. Nearly all venues are requiring this, many will not allow you to book more than 50 percent capacity for both indoor and outdoor venues.
2. Seating is either done in pods or limited around the banquet tables. A table that would normally seat eight in past years can only seat four today. If there is a family or a group who have been in regular contact, those people can sit denser than others.
3. Require masks on at all times except when someone is eating or drinking. This is a very common rule throughout communities which allow indoor dining. It is also a common rule with successful outdoor events.
4. Have plenty of hand sanitizer throughout the room for people to use. 
5. Do not have a serve-yourself buffet where every guest touches a serving spoon. Instead, have a caterer serve the buffet or do not offer a buffet.

For most of these events, temperature checks are performed at the door. While those are great to find any symptomatic people, they do not find the significant number of COVID patients who are asymptomatic.

Our suggestion is to invest in Medek Health’s COVID antibody or antigen testing. These rapid tests are inexpensive and can be used to give your guests the confidence they need to celebrate your special day. 

The antibody test kits from Medek Health require only a couple of drops of blood to tell whether a person is completely COVID free, has had COVID in the past or possibly has an active COVID infection. The tests are 97 percent accurate and deliver results in less than 10 minutes.

To learn more about our wedding packages for testing, please click here.