Covid wedding planning advice for brides and grooms to-be, and why paper flowers make for a flexible choice in uncertain times
As paper wedding florists, we’ve seen firsthand how the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on couples planning their special day. No matter whether you’ve just said YES to the perfect proposal, have already postponed and rearranged multiple times, or are helping out a special someone prepare for their big day, for future brides and grooms trying to navigate and anticipate the shifting restrictions surrounding weddings, the future feels… confusing.
Nevertheless, we’ve also had the pleasure of working with loads of brilliant couples this past year who have all taken the plunge and opted for a Covid-friendly wedding. As we already operate a paper flower delivery service, we’ve been able to continue working with couples and sending bouquets directly to their door throughout the pandemic. From paper wedding flowers that are laden with sentiment and meaning, to how to turn small ceremonies into big occasions for online guests, read on for our top creative wedding ideas to make the uncertainty of Corona wedding planning work for you.
1. Stay Flexible
Months into the Covid-19 pandemic, and engaged couples are still facing an impossible decision for which there is no ‘right’ answer. That is whether to put their planned wedding on hold, or go ahead with a very different kind of day from what they initially envisaged. And while there are pros and cons to both options, our best advice is this: Do whatever works for you! That could be putting all date-sensitive choices on hold until normality returns (things like catering, venue, and so on). Or, if you’ve already got the bulk of planning done, you may prefer the wait and see approach (keeping fingers firmly crossed!). Alternatively, if you’re yet to start organising or just want to cut your losses and be married already, then a Corona-friendly wedding could be right choice for you and your partner.
Regardless of how, when, or where you choose to tie the knot, paper wedding flowers are one way to help take some of the stress out of planning during this time of uncertainty. Because they’re made of paper, they require zero water meaning they're not only sustainable, but ready to dazzle whenever you are. Handcrafted from all kinds of preloved paper - think donated books, maps, music, comics and more - unlike real flowers, they can be ordered far, far in advance and still look as good as new. What's more, if you're not able to take delivery right now we can store them for you in our secure London studio until the big day can go ahead.
Paper flowers are flexible in other ways, too. Always dreamed of summer wildflowers but find yourself organising a wintertime wedding? Because paper blooms don’t rely on things like seasons or air freight delivery, couples can have their hearts' desire - without having to factor in the financial or environmental costs of importing fresh flowers.
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2. Small Wedding? Make it Personal, Go Big on Details!
In our experience, the hardest part of scaling back plans for a Covid-friendly wedding is taking the decision to do so. Once that's done, you can turn your full attention to planning a joy-filled, intimate wedding day, jam-packed with personalised touches to make every detail count!
It goes without saying that opting for a smaller ‘do’ will likely save on money and stress. But that’s not the only advantage: because micro weddings are so focused on the couple and only their closest of circles, there’s no distracting from the raw emotion of what promises to be an utterly romantic day. Or put another way, the smaller the wedding, the more amplified its various elements become… including flowers! Over the years, we’ve had the total pleasure of transforming upcycled works by couples’ favourite authors into one-of-a-kind paper wedding flowers; sheet music; old maps for ramblers and globetrotters alike; love letters, diaries, and even pets’ passports! If Covid is forcing you to compromise on your plans, don’t let it stop your personality shining through on your special day.
Paper flowers can also be a way of honouring and appreciating those who can’t be with you on your special day, including loved ones who have sadly passed away. A paper bridal bouquet, for example, could incorporate handwritten notes from friends who are unable to travel. Buttonholes can be personalised with letters or documents pertaining to relatives who are loved and missed. Quite simply - if it’s paper, it’s possible! See some examples on our wedding gallery.
Of course, a single-digit guest list doesn't mean friends and family can’t watch you say ‘I Do’ online! Thanks to the likes of Zoom, Google Meet, and even Instagram Live, wherever they are, your digital attendees can be part of your special day. To guarantee a good connection (pun fully intended!), you could even send paper flowers by post to match your own: bouquets for would-be bridesmaid, for example, paper flower gift bags for new in-laws, or single stem wedding favours.
3. Plan a Party
As well as making us all fall in love with small, intimate ceremonies, another positive outcome of pandemic wedding planning is the prospect of much bigger, non-socially distant second celebrations once life returns to normal. We can't wait! Because they can be stored and reused, paper flowers are a great way of linking a first, smaller ceremony to a bigger party, blessing, or even ‘sequel wedding' later on, both visually and emotionally. Reusable paper flowers also means one less thing to organise for any second celebration you’ve got planned… and one less cost to factor in!
Speaking of which…
4. Be Mindful of Money
The past year has been tough in all sorts of ways. For many couples, that includes financially. But trimming down your wedding costs needn’t come at the expense of beautiful flowers. If you do decide paper wedding flowers are right for you (and we really hope you do!), then Rosie and the team are on hand to help accommodate your budget. We want your day to be special and right for you, and will never push you to spend money you don’t have. Instead, we’ll work with you to find creative ways to have beautiful but budget friendly paper flowers for your wedding.
Options include self-sourcing paper for bespoke bouquets, rather than have us do it for you; smaller arrangements; or having bridesmaids carry a single feature stem like a sunflower or rose. Alternatively, not only do our lapel and wrist corsages offer a fresh twist on an old tradition, your bridal party will thank you for not having to worry about dropped or misplaced bouquets! And after the ceremony, if a small wedding reception is on the cards, why not reuse bridal party bouquets as table decorations - or gift them to the new in-laws?
5. Be Kind to Yourself
This one's so important! These past months have been particularly hard-going, and while, no, having to delay, compromise or even cancel your wedding day isn’t the worst thing to be happening right now, it’s completely legitimate to feel disappointed.
“Don’t feel guilty that you feel sad about this with everything else going on; allow yourself to grieve,” said Page & Bloom bride-to-be Mel, right after her Corona-cancelled wedding.
“There really is no frame of reference for this situation, so allow yourself to feel how you feel.”
For lots of couples, making plans for what might initially feel like a bitter milestone indeed - your postponed wedding day - can be a positive step. That could be cooking (or ordering) a decadent meal, whipping up a (not) wedding cake, practising your first dance, or enjoying a Zoom call with your bridesmaids and ushers-to-be. If you've already taken delivery of our fabulous paper flowers, get them out and enjoy them! They’ll still be fresh as a (paper) daisy when your big day finally comes around.
6. Start Married Life as You Mean to Go On
Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on all of our lives these past months. But the pandemic has also revealed a whole lot of kindness, compassion, and above all, community. As a social enterprise helping women rebuild their lives after domestic abuse, we’ve seen it ourselves in the ongoing work of the charities with whom we partner and who help identify women to come work with us or join our training programmes. In this way, our paper wedding flowers are packed with positivity and meaning not just for you and your intended, but society at large.
Choosing Page & Bloom as your wedding flower supplier also makes a difference in other ways. Because they’re made from recycled paper, our blooms are kinder on the environment than real ones. We love receiving donations of preloved books, maps, manuscripts and comics that would otherwise end up in landfill. Did you know that to grow a single cultivated rose can take up to five litres of water and produce up to 2.9kg of CO2 emissions? Because our roses are already read, they’re an all-round better choice for a more sustainable start to your new married life! Find out more about how paper flowers can help you plan a sustainable and zero waste wedding.
Final Thoughts
If the Coronavirus pandemic has thrown your wedding plans into disarray, don’t despair! See the situation for what it is, and decide what’s right for you. That could be to wait this thing out, or to switch up and scale down your plans, or perhaps plan a Covid-friendly micro wedding from the get-go. Whatever you choose, Page & Bloom is on hand to ensure you get the most from your flowers, now and forever. That might mean paper bouquets crafted from sci-fi, city maps, or Shakespeare; musical scores or old love letters; your favourite fashion mags or just about anything else we can get our hands on. It could be bringing remote friends closer through our paper flower delivery service. Or simply having gorgeous paper flowers to love, cherish, and hold on to until the pandemic has passed and we can all celebrate in non-socially distant style! Above all, they offer flexibility in these most uncertain of times.
If you’ve got an idea for your unique wedding flowers, want to find out more about what we do, or just want to bounce around some Covid friendly wedding ideas, drop us a line. We’d love to hear from you!
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