Make certain your venue has a contract policy in place for FORCE MAJEUR (a.k.a. unforeseeable circumstances outside of our control) which prevents a venue or client from fulfilling their contractual obligations. At the beginning of the 2020 Pandemic, many couples and event hosts found themselves out thousands of dollars because this clause was not included in their contract paperwork. The Abbey Estate has always included this legal safety statement and has seamlessly moved the event dates for dozens of COVID couples/organizations without penalty or extra charges.

Make certain your venue (and planner) is up-to-date, has a back-up plan, and communicates clearly regarding state and local safety regulations. At different points during the 2020 pandemic, infectious rates were higher or lower which resulted in corresponding capacity regulations. Does your venue have viable options in place if regulations change before your event?

Venues with both indoor and outdoor celebration spaces provide the most flexibility for comfortable social spacing, fresh air circulation, and (possible) mask-less entertaining.

You don’t have to sacrifice beauty or fun for safety - but you may need to make some modifications/concessions to help avoid anyone getting sick at your event. Celebration Plans that may need to be altered for the safety of all guests include:

Ceremony Seating

The flexibility to provide social spacing between rows of chairs/benches is a venue/safety plus.

Reception Seating. Pre-pandemic, it was common to cluster 8-12 guests at each table. During Covid, fewer guests with more room for social-spacing is recommended. The Abbey Estate has selected a 6-guest per table policy which may impact seating charts and the number of centerpieces planned.

Food Service

Pre-pandemic “serve-yourself” buffets, appetizer stations, dessert tables, and punch bowls were common. During a pandemic, the risk of hundreds of guests touching the same serving utensils while talking, laughing and breathing over the exposed food is a health and safety risk. You can get creative with pre-bagged popcorn bags, dessert plates, or bottled beverages. If your caterer (or budget) does not provide buffet plating or guest-serving options, you may want to consider asking for service assistance from your trained venue crew or select a small group of family friends to don aprons, gloves and masks to fulfill these functions. The Abbey Estate has been proud to offer the complimentary food serving services of our staff during COVID regulations.

Sanitizing Stations

You will want to make certain that your venue is providing plenty of places for guests to quickly clean their hands. During the pandemic, some of our Abbey Estate couples put mini-sanitizers at every place setting just to make sure.

Customized Masks

If they are going to be required you may want to select what they are going to look like in your photos. Depending on local regulations, they may not be required at all times (socially spaced outdoor spaces and dining spaces are typically mask-free). But if/when they are, customized masks with couple logos/colors are readily available on-line.

Accommodations for Vulnerable Guests

Guests who are elderly or live with underlying health conditions are safest at home but understandably may not want to miss out on the celebration memories. You can get creative with options allowing special guests to be comfortable and away from the crowd. During the pandemic, some of our Abbey Estate couples selected to position “chairs of honor” near the front of the ceremony seating area and away from others. Another sweet Abbey Estate accommodation was to set-up a separate room where (after post-ceremony couple photos) the Bride and Groom enjoyed a short but intimate dinner with grandparents and vulnerable guests before joining their parents/bridal party and remaining guests for the rest of the reception activities. Finally, If ZOOM/FaceTime or streaming services are considered, make certain that your venue has the internet/WIFI capabilities to accommodate.