Thoughts on Weddings in the age of COVID

 

 

 I enjoy photographing weddings, even though they are a lot of work. They are so hopeful, a new start, a new life! Each wedding I photograph is different, but there are certain aspects that are the same. Two people, who love each other, make a promise to spend the rest of their lives together. We all know that sometimes things don't work out, but on the wedding day, hope is in the air and anything is possible!

2020 was a year when many weddings were cancelled or postponed. Those weddings that did take place were seriously restricted, with family following the ceremony on Zoom. But many couples couldn't let go of the traditional celebration with family, so they delayed their wedding until 2021 or even 2022. Those that set the date for 2021 have been on a roller coaster ride with vaccinations, restrictions being lifted and then reinstated as cases surge and people refuse the chance of a vaccine. The pandemic has made many reconsider what is important in their lives. Outdoor weddings and smaller weddings seem to be a trend for this year, with masks, when worn, matched carefully to the outfits. If that's what it takes to start married life together in the age of COVID, then so be it!

Whatever else has been eliminated from the wedding, I hope couples will hire a photographer to record the day! Twenty, thirty, forty years from now, when you look back on your wedding day, your photographs are there to bring it all back, like a time machine. Printed photos are future-proof; digital media will decay and be replaced by newer formats but an album can be enjoyed for many years.

So, what changes do you think we will see going forward? Will weddings continue to be smaller, more intimate affairs or will the mega-wedding return? It will be interesting to see.