With wedding restrictions still in place in Ireland (you can see them here), we wanted to share some words of advice for couples who are going to have a shorter wedding day than they expected. We appreciate that this is a really stressful situation, and fully sympathise with couples who've had it sprung on them a few days or weeks before the big day. That said, weddings that end at midnight, or earlier, are common in many parts of the world, and thousands of them have taken place in Ireland over the past two years, so we know that they can be utterly fabulous! Keeping yourself and your guests safe should be your top priority, but there are also a few ways you can take a shorter wedding to the next level. Without further ado, here are our top tips for making the most of weddings with a curfew!
1. Shift the Timeline Back
The best way to get more celebrating done on your wedding day is to shift the timeline back a little bit, AKA have everything start earlier than planned. This is only possible if you've got a bit of time to play with, but it's worth contacting your ceremony and reception venues and suppliers to ask if they can facilitate this. One Fab Day reader Caroline tells us, "I got married with the 11.30pm curfew in place, we worked around it by having our ceremony early, at 11.30am to get a 12-hour day in!" Worried you'll sacrifice some getting-ready fun with your wedding party? Think about carving out some to spend together the day before, with afternoon spa treatments, or a pre-bedtime tipple perhaps!
2. Talk to your Venue about Workarounds
Unfortunately, government guidance around weddings in Ireland can be quite vague, and wedding venues have a difficult job interpreting them. This means that the "rules" can vary from one wedding venue to the next. Talk to your venue about what's possible on the night, and ask if there are any workarounds that would allow you to squeeze in a little bit more time with your guests, for example, having a firepit lit in the courtyard around which you and your overnight guests can continue chatting for a while before heading to bed. There's no harm in asking, but do respect their answer, whatever it is. Their job is to keep you, your guests and their staff safe, and it's not an easy one!
3. Amp up the Day-Two Festivities
Where time, budget and restrictions allow, extending your day-two celebration for a few more hours is another way of squeezing in more party time with your nearest and dearest. If you weren't planning on having one, but you are now, you can check out our list of day-two party ideas here.
4. Consider a Rehearsal Dinner
We've already written about how much we love the American tradition of the rehearsal dinner, and, even before Covid-19 was a concern, we would have recommended you finish up early, to maximise beauty sleep the night before the wedding! If you haven't already planned one, a casual get-together or nice meal with family the night before is another great way to wrangle some extra time with your guests.
5. Embrace the Benefits of an Early Night
While the late introduction of a curfew can cause a whole lot of stress, weddings with a curfew boast a couple of advantages that are worth leaning in to (particularly when you have no other choice!). For one, you and your guests will be feeling fresher for any day-two festivities you’ve got planned, and, for two, you’ll get some extra alone time with your new spouse at the end of the night (something that married couples often say they wish they’d made more time for!)
6. Try Not to Worry about what your Friend/Sister/Cousin is Doing
We often hear from couples whose friends' venue or suppliers bent the rules for them, and they're disappointed that their venue or suppliers aren't willing to do the same, questionable though that may be. Our biggest and most ardent advice on this is to remain focussed on your wedding, and what you can do. This is, admittedly, quite hard when you have to attend other weddings, or hear about them from friends or relatives, but, from talking to hundreds of Covid-19 couples, we know that this is the best way to reduce stress and fully enjoy your big day.
7. Remember that your Wedding will be Great Because it's your Wedding!
There's no getting around it, Covid-19 restrictions make planning a wedding more challenging. But it's important to keep reminding yourself that you will still have an incredible day, no matter what guidelines are in place, as evidenced by all the Covid-19 couples who shared their stories with us at various stages of the pandemic! In all likelihood, this will be the only day in your life when all of your favourite people are in one room, chatting, eating, drinking and dancing together (unless you have a vow renewal!), and for that reason, it will be magical! One Fab Day reader Caroline tells us, "I spent so long focussing on the restrictions on the lead up to my own day, rather than thinking of all we did have, and it was still the best day of our lives." I think that's a pretty fantastic note to finish on!
Looking for more wedding inspiration? You'll find loads here!
