Couples Opt For Smaller Weddings Amid Social Distancing

You won’t find the word “minimony” in the dictionary.

But couples who spent a year planning a traditional wedding only to see it canceled by the coronavirus know it well, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Instead of waiting for who knows how long and rebooking a venue, selecting the meal and the rest, some couples have opted for a minmony, a simple wedding with virtual guests. The traditional nuptials can come later when social distancing is just a memory, the AP reported.

Take Kate Whiting and Jake Avery, for example.

“We were about to put a $15,000 deposit down on a venue when coronavirus hit,” Whiting told the news service. “Why would I want to wait to marry my best friend?”

Their 300-guest dream wedding will happen once a vaccine has been found for the coronavirus. For now, the couple will be married in their backyard in June by a recently ordained friend.

They are not alone.

More than 550,000 weddings are planned for April, May and June this year, the AP reported, citing TheKnot.com. The site said 93 percent of couples whose weddings are impacted by the virus are rescheduling, with 7 percent canceled altogether, the site said.

Nicole Ochoa and Brad Wilkinson had a 200-guest wedding planned for July until they miniaturized the big day. The couple settled on about 10 guests on a ranch near their home that overlooks estate vineyards.

“We just really wanted it to be personal,” Ochoa told the AP. “I hope that other people can pause and consider this as an option. It feels like the wedding industry and wedding trends have turned into such a show.”

Kristen Maxwell Cooper, The Knot’s editor, told the AP that couples who want to keep their original plans but worry that virus restrictions will drive their guest counts down might consider downsizing while live-streaming the occasion.

Last week, PYMNTS reported that Jared debuted #LoveCantWait. The jewelry retailer promised to provide a free virtual wedding tool for 1,000 couples.

The online platform will let couples make a personalized wedding experience that the retailer says will closely resemble that of an event that takes place in person.

David’s Bridal launched its virtual stylist and virtual appointment experience, PYMNTS reported last month. More than 300 stylists from throughout the nation will be accessible to clients to help bring their wedding vision to life, the company said.