There is no doubt that coronavirus, or Covid-19, has had a massive effect on events and mass gatherings all over the world. There are strict limitations on wedding guests; in some cases as few as five people per gathering. Because of this, many couples have opted to postpone their wedding ceremonies to a later date as they wait to see how the situation unfolds. If you are facing these unfortunate circumstances, it can be really upsetting and you may feel as though your big day may never happen. 

However there are many things you can do in the meantime while stuck at home, which allow you to keep preparing, planning and boosting your morale! From online wedding dance lessons, planning playlists and honeymoons, to designing and making your bonbonniere, you have a lot of options to keep you busy, positive and excited for your big day!

Here are our top five fun and productive things you can do whilst in isolation:

1. Design your printed items online

Whichever stage you’re at with your wedding preparations, you now have the opportunity to get creative with items you are going to need on your big day! This is a really fun task to do. Creating your own printed items gives a more personalised feel to your big day. It is one of the ways you can inject your style and personality as a couple into your celebrations.

Is it early on in your planning and you are yet to send out your invitations? Or perhaps a little further along in planning and you are looking to create your menus, table plan and signage? Either way, there are numerous options available for this. You can use a design software programme like Adobe InDesign or websites such as Canva. It also pays to check with your chosen printers if they are able to help you with design templates you can customize to your liking.

If you have already planned all of your wedding stationery items, writing personalised notes to your guests (which are placed at their seat) is a beautiful touch. For couples that have sadly had to postpone, this can be a heartfelt way to say thank you during these tough times, and really make your reception an event filled with so much love and joy!  An added bonus is that it means you won’t have to write thank you cards after your wedding as you’ve already taken the time to do them now.

 2. Make your own Bonbonniere/Favours

The next creative task on the list is making your own bonbonniere! If you haven’t already organized this, there are many DIY options to consider. An added bonus of making your own is it will be cheaper than ordering items and adds that little personal touch. This leaves you with more in your budget for other expenses (hello confetti canon, a second party dress or even an hour longer at the venue - whatever floats your boat really)!

If you have a more intimate ceremony planned, you may choose to produce some sweet treats or jams for a smaller number of guests. If you have a green thumb, spring is the perfect time to be propagating plants (mini succulents are super cute and easy) to give to people on your big day. You could design personalised masks for your bridal party, or even all of your guests! Alternatively, if you have already ordered your bonbonniere you could extend your newfound design skills to making personalised labels for your favour items.

3. Make playlists for the day 

Have you already organised your band’s setlist or your dance floor must-haves? This is the obvious one, but there are other opportunities for playlists over the course of your big day. What about a playlist for when you get ready in the morning, and another one for your journey to the ceremony? Make sure you don’t forget a song to enter the reception to, and of course the all-important song for your first dance.

A fun and useful activity for you and your partner to do is to make a list of songs that have special meaning either to you, or both of you as a couple. This can actually produce a lot of inspiration for first dance wedding songs you can use if you haven’t already chosen one. Whether it’s a romantic waltz, a slow dance to Ed Sheeran or a surprise mashup, think about what represents you best as a couple and the right song will present itself!

4. Learn some new moves by taking online first dance lessons

The first dance at your wedding can be a nerve-wracking prospect for many couples. All eyes on the two of you, as you take your first steps as a married couple. However wedding first dance lessons don’t have to be costly or daunting, as now you can do online wedding dance lessons at home. You may look to YouTube for free first dance lessons, or utilize specialized programs put together by choreographers.

Even if you are a complete beginner, online wedding dance tutorials will provide you with all the basic steps as well as first dance choreography ideas. You can then spend some time incorporating what you’ve learnt into any wedding dance ideas or songs that you have already chosen.

If you are a bit further ahead in your planning for your first dance, you could learn some new moves to incorporate into your existing dance routine such as lifts and dips. This will ensure you end up with a memorable wedding dance to surprise your guests!

If you want to learn how to dance for your wedding, there are many options for online lessons to do at home. Check out YouTube tutorials for different dance steps and consider looking into wedding dance instructors. Many offer quarantine friendly zoom dance lessons as well as video downloads that teach you how to dance.

5. Plan a local honeymoon

Perhaps you had planned an exciting overseas getaway, and are now faced with the prospect of this trip being postponed for even longer than your ceremony has been. With numerous long term travel bans in place around the world, you may need to make alternative plans. As disappointing as this may be, there are many wonderful nearby holiday options to discover! Supporting your local has never been more important and taking a short trip will still be really special. It will also be comforting to know that these plans are much less likely to fall through.

Get googling local getaways and reach out to other couples who are in similar situations. Get in contact with your wedding vendors to get their venue insights and hidden secrets. You should get some good suggestions from doing this, and you may even discover a fantastic spot in your own backyard! Another upside to honeymooning a little closer to home is it will be more affordable and easier to return to this special place in the future for anniversaries and special dates. Plus when all goes back to normal, you can still take that overseas honeymoon (two honeymoons are better than one right)?!

So there you have it - even with Covid-19 causing delays to your wedding day, there are still plenty of fun things you can do at home to continue your preparations for a wonderful celebration! Getting creative allows you to add more of your personality to your big day, learning some easy first dance moves will wow your guests, and honeymooning nearer to home gives you the potential to have many more special trips in the future.

If you are looking for fun isolation date night activities, check out our Premium Online First Dance Program to keep you feeling positive, productive and excited for your upcoming wedding!!

Written by Josephine Searles