The pandemic has upset everyone’s plans and weddings are no exception. According to the OnePaul and Indochino survey of 2,000 Americans in 2020, 93% have had to change something about their marriage due to the coronovirus epidemic.
For couples who have been planning the wedding of their dreams, the pandemic forced those dreams to change. Some have been able to roll with the blows. For others, it has been heartbreaking.
But wedding guests are also grappling with new protocols to break. With couples trimming their guest list to follow social distancing guidelines, COVID has more and more people not inviting guests. In addition, the pandemic has created financial challenges with millions of unemployed, so giving gifts could be even more stressful. What’s the label of something the country hasn’t been through before?
We spoke with wedding experts to discuss how to introduce yourself to your loved ones during this unusual time.
When bachelorette parties go virtual and weddings are now reserved for the closest family and friends, it can be difficult to determine what to do. According to Zola, a wedding planning and registry company, about 90% of wedding guests plan to give a wedding gift no matter what, even if the couple has to narrow down their guest list or it goes virtual. But experts emphasize that it is still up to each guest to determine what feels good.
Lizzie Post, co-chair of etiquette consultancy The Emily Post Institute, agrees that if you’re not particularly close to the couple, you probably don’t need to send a gift.
It is for friends and family who are always forward thinking. With a gift in hand and the wedding now postponed for months or years, here are some options for what to do with the gifts purchased.
“If you’d rather keep your big gift, it’s nice to send the couple something on its original date,” says Emily Forrest, Zola’s director of communications. To celebrate, we sent each of them a small wedding gift through their Zola registry on their original wedding date, knowing that we will purchase a larger gift for each of them when they get married in 2020. ”
But if you really don’t want to keep the gift, or don’t want to keep it for a year, Forrest says there’s nothing wrong with giving it sooner.
Post will not be surprised that the obligation of a gift for a wedding or bridal shower is no longer the cultural norm.
Of course, no couple would turn down a gift card or envelope full of cash. According to Zelle, 80% of newlyweds would rather have money as a wedding gift. But if you have to watch your pockets, Swann has a suggestion.
