Communicating with your guests is an important part of the wedding planning process – but if you’re planning your wedding during COVID times, this might look a little different!
While many weddings are still able to go ahead amidst the pandemic, there may be some extra precautions that need to be addressed with your loved ones before the day.
So, what exactly should you say about COVID-19 on your wedding invitations? Read on as we unpack the etiquette around mentioning COVID-19 on your wedding invitations, including some wording examples to get you started.
Should You Mention COVID-19 On Your Wedding Invitations?
While there’s every chance COVID-19 might not end up impacting your day, we think it’s a good idea to address the “elephant in the room” upfront to set the right expectations with your guests.
If you’re hosting your wedding during the pandemic, your loved ones will probably have some extra questions or concerns. By mentioning COVID-19 on your wedding invitations, you’ll be putting your guests at ease and ensuring your event runs as safely as possible. This also means you won’t need to answer the same questions over and over again before the day!
How to Address COVID-19 On Your Wedding Invitations
So, where exactly will this extra information about COVID-19 fit on your wedding invitations?
Traditional etiquette states that your wedding invitations should be reserved for the essential details about your day (such as the venue, date, time and RSVP method). Rather than addressing COVID-19 on your invitations themselves, we would recommend including a separate information card – or, for an easier method, simply including a link to your wedding website for more details.
What Should We Say About COVID-19 On Our Wedding Invitations?
Okay, so what kind of details should you include about COVID-19 on your wedding invitations or wedding website?
The appropriate amount of information will depend on your guest numbers, wedding venue requirements, and the current rules and restrictions in your area.
Some things you may want to consider including on your wedding invitations or wedding website would be:
- Safety precautions. For example: do you want your guests to wear masks indoors, sanitise their hands on arrival or practice social distancing? You can also share the details about your COVID-safe plan and any additional measures you’ll be implementing on the day.
- Venue requirements. If your wedding venue requires mask-wearing, proof of a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination, this will need to be communicated before the day.
- Travel requirements. If you have guests travelling from interstate or overseas, you may want to share a link to the current travel requirements to help them plan their trip.
- Live stream details. Setting up a ceremony live stream is a great idea for guests who are unable to attend. You can find everything you need to know about live-streaming your wedding here.
Remember, the more information you can give your guests, the more comfortable they’ll be about attending your wedding!
COVID-19 Invitation Wording Examples
Looking for COVID invitation wording examples? As mentioned earlier, the easiest way to address COVID-19 on your wedding invitations is simply by directing your guests to your wedding website for more details.
To do this, you can say something like:
“Sally & Harry
invite you to celebrate with them
on their wedding day
10 September, 2022
at 2.30pm
Botanical Gardens, Pleasantville
Dinner and dancing to follow!
Please RSVP by 10 August
To RSVP and read our COVID-safe plan, please visit: (insert wedding website link)”
Then, on your wedding website, you can go into more detail about safety precautions, venue requirements and other COVID-related information.
For example:
“A few notes about COVID-19 and our wedding.
While we’re hopeful that COVID will no longer be a concern by our wedding day, we also want to make sure you feel comfortable celebrating with us.
We’ve worked closely with our venue and catering team to create a COVID-safe plan for our wedding. This includes hosting our ceremony and reception outdoors, limiting our guest list to 70 pax, setting up sanitising stations around the venue, and serving individually plated meals and canapes.
Currently, masks are not required (but we completely respect your decision to wear one if you choose to do so!).
We do ask that if you have any COVID-19 symptoms, or have been exposed to COVID-19 within two weeks of our wedding, to please stay home. We will be live streaming our ceremony right here on our wedding website for anyone who is unable to join us on the day.
Finally, we will keep you in the loop with any changes via our wedding website, and are always here to answer any questions you may have.
We love you and can’t wait to celebrate with you all!
Harry and Sally”
What If I Have to Postpone My Wedding Because of COVID-19?
While we have our fingers and toes crossed you won’t need to postpone your wedding, it’s a good idea to consider your Plan B just in case.
In the event of a postponement, you’ll want to update your guests as soon as the decision has been made. Sending virtual “Change The Dates” is the easiest way to share the news with your loved ones, even if you haven’t locked in a new date just yet. You can find our guide on sending Change The Dates for your wedding here, including some wording examples to inspire you!
