Just Engaged? How to Plan Your Wedding During Lockdown

If you’re one of the ones who’s just got engaged (perhaps even during lockdown!) and you now find yourself twiddling your thumbs with not a lot to do and you’ve watched every Netflix series there is to watch, now is the time to put on your wedding planning productivity pants! To use this time as an opportunity to get ahead, we’ve put together 10 items (some serious, some not so serious because BALANCE right now) to tick off your wedding to-do-list during lockdown…

Get organised

Did you know that the average UK wedding takes over 200 hours to plan? It’s easy to see why it can feel like a part-time job! If you’re stuck at home with plenty of time on your hands, get organised. Designate a day to wedding planning, whether that’s writing checklists, creating spreadsheets, researching suppliers or appointing roles to members of your bridal party. Get on track and make sure all systems are go!

You can read through our super helpful wedding planning series by our resident Wedding Planner, Katrina Otter Weddings, right here and if you haven’t yet discovered our digital planning magazine, then now is the perfect time to get reading! You can read ‘The Annual’ here.

We’ve also created a designated tag here for all things coronavirus related to assist with any planning queries.

Wedding Gift List

With most of us in lockdown, shopping sprees are officially off the cards for a while. But don’t let that dampen your spirits – instead, start putting together your Wedding Gift List with Prezola. As the UK’s most stylish independent gift list service, you’ll find thousands of gorgeous products that are made for newlywed life. You can kit out the kitchen with savvy new gadgets or plan some epic experiences for your honeymoon. Your guests will be super happy for the convenience of an online gift list too!

DIY

While you may not have ‘crafty’ listed at the top of your CV, lockdown is the perfect opportunity to practise your wedding DIY skills! Not only can DIY décor save you money, it adds a personal touch to your big day and is something fun to do as a couple. We suggest keeping it simple to start with, but the possibilities are endless, from signage to photoboooth backdrops!

If you discover DIY really isn’t your forte then fear not, we have some lovely pros listed on our Suppliers We Love page who can assist.

Hair & Makeup Trials

We’re all missing our beauty appointments but listen to your hairdresser and avoid cutting and colouring your own hair – instead, why not try out your skills with your bridal hairstyling and make-up? While you may be hiring a professional for the big day, lots of suppliers are doing online tutorials and IG lives that are super fun to try out! This could really help piece together how you want to look and feel on your actual wedding day, giving you confidence when you head into your actual real-life hair and makeup trials. Plus, your new-found skills may be come in handy for date night in the future!

Shopping (online)

Grab yourself a gin and tonic and start working your way through your wedding to-do-list with the bits and pieces you can buy online. Start browsing for bridesmaid dresses (start up a Whatsapp group to share suggestions and colour palettes), purchase the details and décor or find those fabulous finishing touches for your aisle style. Everyone could do with a bit of glitz and glamour at the moment, right?

If you are doing any early purchasing, just make sure anything you buy has a dedicated, safe storage place.

Some bridal boutiques are also offering virtual appointments (such as our faves Halfpenny London) during this time, so if you fancy having an online consultation then seek out your favourite designers. We’ve reinstated our dedicated Wedding Dress page, so browse some of our helpful advice features or the designer focus pieces to get some inspo.

Vows & Readings

Get sentimental with your other half and use your time during lockdown to research readings for your ceremony – there are hundreds of heart-felt, funny and witty readings that you’ll love. You could also sit down and start writing your wedding vows – something that is usually a last-minute job!

Pinterest

If you’re having a day where you’re lacking motivation, try not to put too much pressure on yourself. Instead, get cosy on the couch and spend a few hours perusing Pinterest for wedding inspiration. Keep the planning fun and relaxed when you need to. Sometimes a bit of wedding pretty is all you need and creating boards will help you to look forward to your special day! With a little extra time, you can also start to really refine what it is you want for your big day – whether its a specific colour palette, a certain type of food, something important to you and your guests or a style of venue.

Virtual Engagement Parties

You might not have had time to celebrate your engagement with your friends and family prior to lockdown – so why not have a virtual party! It can be as wild or as chilled as you want it to be!

If you’ve got engaged during lockdown and haven’t yet told anyone, the beauty of Zoom is that you can record the session, so having a memory of everyone’s reaction as you announce the news is pretty darn special right? Tell them you have an announcement to make, and that you’ll be recording for prosperities sake.

Also, if you’ve only just got engaged but haven’t quite managed to ask your closest friends if they will be your bridesmaids/groomsmen, perhaps you can organise a surprise ‘Will you be my…’ Zoom call! You could pop a card in the post to each member of your bridal party but write on the envelope ‘not to be opened until [insert Zoom call date and time]’ and then get them to open their ‘Will you be my…’ cards live! There will be tears so make sure there’s plenty of tissues and bubbles on hand.

Music Playlist and First Dance!

This is one you can really have some fun with, and you could even make a quarantine date night out of it. Start putting together your wedding day playlist, from pre-ceremony music right through to the very last dance. Pour yourself a glass of vino and relive the memories through songs that mean the world to you. There will be happy, upbeat tunes that are guaranteed to get your guests on the dancefloor right through to the tracks that remind you of your first few dates. It’s time to get sentimental!

Venues & suppliers

With thousands of postponements across the country, venues and suppliers will be booked more in advance than ever, so if you’re not that far ahead into your planning journey we suggest you begin enquiring with potential wedding professionals. Many of our wedding venues are currently offering virtual showrounds, so you can view your shortlist from the comfort of your couch!

If you have already booked some of your suppliers, check in and offer your support during this difficult time. The personal note will be hugely appreciated.

The main thing to remember when planning your wedding during lockdown is that it’s completely normal and okay to feel overwhelmed and stressed, and that everyone is in the same boat. Try to see it as an opportunity to tackle the planning bits and pieces you wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. Planning your big day during quarantine can still be fun, and you have a wonderful wedding day to look forward to at the end of it.

Here’s to #LoveAfterLockdown…