Tips for a Festive Socially Distanced Holiday Season
How the wedding industry took on the challenges of COVID-19 and how you can do the same.
As of November 5, the US hit a new all-time high number of COVID-19 infections nationwide. With 121,054 new cases recorded, families across the country are rethinking Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations as everyone does their part to reduce the spread of the virus while staying connected to friends and family members.
It may seem daunting to celebrate the holidays in a socially-distanced manner, but we look to the wedding industry for inspiration and insight. While many couples postponed their celebrations to 2021, some chose to host meaningful ceremonies that included their loved ones safely.
Celebrate Together - Apart
Ranu Coleman of Azazie told Brides.com the story of a virtual wedding she attended where the bride “sent everyone a wedding package that included a bottle of champagne, a pair of champagne flutes with their name and wedding date on it, confetti, and a polaroid camera so we could take pictures and document their day from afar.” We hate being separated from family, but the distance feels shorter when family members are all doing the same thing.
If you live in the same region as your extended family, support a local business and remove the pressure of cooking an entire meal. Coordinate with family to order the same Thanksgiving dinner meal from a restaurant. Nothing can beat Aunt Kathy’s sweet potato casserole, but not having to scrub the turkey pan is a great consolation. Fire up a Zoom call as your family eats the prepared meal and share your gratitudes over mashed potatoes and turkey.
Another option is to create a Thanksgiving care package for family members who live far away. Get creative with matching t-shirts, funny accessories, and a game you can play on Zoom.
The More the Merrier
If you’ve ever been alone on Thanksgiving, you know it’s not a fate to wish on anyone-- and yet, many will be home alone this holiday. Christine of Christine Quarte Photography told Green Wedding Shoes of a couple who “chose to host a virtual ceremony, live-streamed on Facebook Live (with more than 700 attendees!), so family + friends, both local + afar could experience this moment with them.” Extend an open invite on social media and round up all the Turkey Day orphans on a Zoom call, so no one feels alone this Thanksgiving. Organize a game, discuss gratitudes, and virtually share a meal.
How to Celebrate a Socially-Distanced Christmas
We’ve been assured that Santa Claus is an essential worker, so his deliveries won’t be affected this year. For the rest of us, Christmas is sure to look different. Let’s take a cue from COVID couples on celebrating with family and exchanging gifts.
Attend a Virtual Christmas Eve Service
Valerie Gernhauser of Sapphire Events and Ruby & Pearl Events in New Orleans told Brides.com about one of her couples who “decided to elope, and I arranged for a live stream of the ceremony so that their families could tune in from afar.” Christmas Eve church services are a tradition in many families, but due to COVID-19, churches around the world have pivoted away from in-person services to protect their congregants. This year, your entire family can join the same service-- no matter where they live. Despite travel restrictions, this year you’re not limited to local churches. Brainstorm a destination as a family, and find a Christmas service to attend together. Perhaps you’ll attend a service in Bethlehem, New York, or London? The options are endless, and a great way to make a new memory as a family.
Get Creative with Gifts
For years, couples have received wedding gifts sent straight to their front door from the online retailer-- contactless delivery before it was cool! Stay safe this holiday season by sticking to in-person celebrations with immediate family in your household. Don’t forget your extended family, though. If you don’t typically exchange gifts with every relative, consider playing Secret Santa. Ship gifts early, then get on a family Zoom call to open and guess the Secret Santa. Bonus: If you receive an awesome gift, there’s no stealing in this version of Secret Santa!
Give Back
When their wedding was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions, New York couple Brian Fenley and Sara Pagano decided to spend their original wedding day giving back. They got all dressed up to collect food and cash donations for a Long Island food bank. We hope their selflessness and commitment to turning a disappointing day into a positive one inspires you to do the same! If you’ve shopped for Christmas gifts at the mall or Walmart in previous years, you’ve likely seen or participated in a Salvation Army Angel Tree gift drive. Shoppers fulfill local children’s Christmas wishes to ensure they get a gift from Santa. This year, more families are struggling, but fewer people are going shopping in person. Angel Tree, like many things this year, is now digitized, so you can give back to a family in need without ever leaving your house! Just visit this website and enter your zip code to see the needs of families near you.
If we’ve learned anything this year, it’s that love is the most important thing. Sometimes, loving others means protecting them by staying away. We hope these tips will help you overcome physical distance as you celebrate the holidays with the ones you love while maintaining social distance. We hope we will all be able to reunite in person to celebrate the holidays in 2021, but in the meantime, stay safe, be kind, and take care of yourself!
