How do you tell guests about covid guidelines at your wedding?

I want to discuss a topic that is coming up with every single couple I’m working with: how to share covid guidelines. This is something you’ll discuss with your venue and planner (if you have one), but you’ll also need to figure this out as it applies to your wedding invitations. Your wedding invitations are your main source of communication with your entire guest list, so it’s an incredibly important place to share COVID guidelines with guests. Be clear (but concise!) when telling your loved ones what’s expected of them.

Now that weddings are back up + running (yay!), it’s gone from famine to feast. Couples are chomping at the bit to get their wedding invitations ordered and out the door, and communicating COVID guidelines to wedding guests is the new territory we are all discovering. Because of this, I am here to say that the details card has never been more important than in the era of COVID!

What is a details card in a wedding invitation suite?

The details card is the insert card that goes into your suite. Is it usually the same size or slightly larger than your rsvp card (depending on how much text you plan to include). This should always include your wedding website url, but if there is specific info you want to call out (e.g. a deadline for booking a hotel from your block), you can include that as well. It’s also a good place to let guests know about any additional events over the weekend, like a welcome drinks get together the night before, or a casual brunch the morning after.

How should I tell my guests about covid guidelines?

It’s vital to let your friends + family know what safety precautions will be in place at your wedding, and what is expected of them as guests (masks, vaccination proof, negative test result…). But as we’ve learned over the last several months, state guidelines are changing often. What information you share on your invitation could change by the time your wedding date arrives. Enter the wedding website! If you’ve done a consult with me, you know I’m a big proponent of wedding websites. This is mostly because a website is fluid, and you can update details on there with ease! So on your details card, always direct your guests to your URL for the latest on covid guidelines. And you can look at your suite as not just a family heirloom, but a historic relic as well.

Do I need to make a big, fancy website for my wedding?

Absolutely not! I know adding web designer to your resume seems incredibly overwhelming when you’ve already added wedding planner and pandemic survivor to the list. But if you can put aside 30 minutes, you can get the basic stuff up and have this tool in your arsenal. (For more tips on setting up your website, check out my ultimate guide to wedding websites!)

Can I ask my wedding guests if they are vaccinated?

Asking people if they are vaccinated can seem like a hot-button issue, but as I’ve told my couples, these are your friends and family. You’re not taking a random poll outside your local pharmacy. More importantly, you are the host, and as such you have a responsibility to all your guests to ensure the safest gathering possible. Knowing what percentage of the people in attendance are vaccinated is the simplest way to gauge that. I’ve had some couples add to their rsvp card “vaccinated or unvaccinated” as a question to answer. Again, this is new territory so new behaviors are par for the course!

How can I help my wedding guests follow the covid guidelines?

Remember that as host, it is your job to assist in making the experience of your wedding day easy and smooth. Some couples have listed vaccination locations in the area many of their guests reside while others have communicated via their site that they will happily pay for covid tests. But most simply, let them know how they can get in touch with you (or your planner) if they have any questions. This may be a note submission platform on your site, or simply giving your email address or phone number.

After an emotionally exhausting year, people are more excited than ever to dance, eat, and celebrate in large groups! But it’s worth that little extra time and planning to make sure guests know of your state or personal covid guidelines for your wedding. Let your details card and wedding website do the heavy lifting for you, so you aren’t spending days fielding calls from confused guests!

Photo Credit: Kelsey Combe Photography, XO & Fetti Photography, Peterson Design Photo (3 + 4)