Weddings post-COVID: How couples are changing up their big day

Intimate affairs are on the rise for Aussie weddings following the pandemic, as couples hang onto COVID restrictions to keep numbers down. See the top 10 trends post-COVID.

Aussie actor Christie Hayes and fellow radio host Justin Coombes-Pearce eloped in an intimate ceremony with two guests this week, instead of their big, grand wedding which got postponed twice last year due to COVID-19.

The pair are part of a growing number of couples opting for intimate affairs over big guest lists, with the pandemic showing how smaller events can be more memorable for the bride
and groom.

“I have planned two large weddings for Christie and Justin, however after the recent Queensland shutdown and an interstate move for the couple, they decided to elope,” The Wedding Series founder and wedding planner Kate O’Shea told Insider.

“With smaller numbers, couples are definitely more focused on the detail including the quality of food and beverage, and I think the food is a particular focus for Christie and Justin’s elopement experience.

“Christie and Justin also invited their 130 guest list to join them virtually – this is the first time I have been involved in a ‘virtual’ wedding and a definitely a new trend as a result of the pandemic.”

Christie Hayes and Justin Coombes-Pearce on their wedding day.

The Wedding Series founder, Kate O'Shea helped plan the couple’s wedding.

She said regional weddings were also booming, with most venues booked until 2022.

“Those that have opted for a more intimate wedding are in most cases still working with the same budget however opting for more bespoke details to wow their guests such as monogrammed napkins, individual menu selections over alternate service and higher quality champagne.

“With the pandemic now impacting multiple years of weddings and events, other major life events still are a priority like buying houses or having babies so some couples just want to get married and ‘get it done’ so they can move forward with the other really important goals in their life.”

Acclaimed Sydney photographer Franky Tsang, of Divon Photography, said guest numbers had dropped for all new bookings, with smaller events for up to 40 guests becoming more commonplace.

Tsang, who is a finalist for the National Photographic Portrait Prize which will be announced in July, said people were still hesitating to have big weddings due to ever-changing COVID restrictions.

“The average number of guests has dropped to 80 or 100 — even for cultural weddings, numbers have dropped from 300 to 150,” he said.

“There are many more tiny ones with just 20 or 40 guests happening.

“The smaller the reception, the more intimate, which is the real emotion we can capture.

“COVID has made us realise what’s important — it has bound people tighter and the relationships between friends and families are stronger, and we are really seeing that in weddings now.”

Wedding Styling Sydney director Roy Simpson said when COVID first hit, the industry saw a lot of postponements — not cancellations — with some couples change dates up to five times. “This year is like two years in one — all the people that couldn’t get married in 2020 plus the new couples,” he said.

“We are now also seeing bookings confirm for 2022.

“The virus itself doesn’t seem to be holding people back, we are lucky in NSW that we have no restrictions and even if an outbreak happens, NSW government doesn’t go into full lockdown — the current volume of inquiries is back to pre COVID numbers, if not higher.”

Wedding photographer Franky Tsang says weddings are becoming more intimate post-COVID.

Franky Tsang is a finalist for the National Photographic Portrait Prize.

Sydney wedding planner and stylist Anna Wang said most brides were increasing their spend for styling and entertainment because they still had a lot of overseas guests, so their numbers
were reducing.

“This year it is playing catch-up on all the postponed weddings from last year and early this year,” she says.

“The cost of the reception is less so they are moving their budget to wards styling and entertainment.

“On the other hand, I have clients who are reducing their overall budget because they have either lost their job, or their business has suffered through COVID and cannot afford to spend
as much as they originally planned.

“A lot of brides and grooms are not caring about COVID anymore. they just want to
get married.”

She said most of her brides this year were loving white, latte and champagne toned florals with either touches of green or gold foliage.

“As we head into the autumn and winter seasons, the beautiful plums and burgundy’s are favourites to a lot of brides as they want a warmer colour theme as it gets into the cold season,” Ms Wang said.

“I am finding new brides and grooms budgets are higher than normal as a lot of people couldn’t travel or spend their money, people have more savings so they can do a lot more for their wedding.

“We can create amazing ceiling installations with chandeliers, flowers and unique pieces to hang at the venue.”

Alex and Vivian Rooney had an intimate wedding in February at Palm Beach.

Newlyweds Alex and Vivian Rooney got married in February, dropping their guest numbers by 40 to have a smaller, COVID-safe wedding at Palm Beach.

“It made it even more special,” Vivian, 27, said.

“It was pretty stressful considering the cluster that happened in the northern beaches … we really had to wait it out to the last minute to decide whether we would go ahead with the wedding.

“The day was pretty much perfect considering everything that was happening around the world so we’re both very lucky that we didn’t need to postpone or make any
drastic changes.

“We feel thankful that all of our guests were so understanding of the uncertainty around it all, and most importantly, we just couldn’t believe that everyone made it despite what happened just a month before our wedding.

“We were both even grateful to have a wedding.”

SAM’S JOY AT NOT-SO-BIG DAY

Samantha Stevens' wedding “dress” was a baggy grey and blue jumpsuit. That’s because the venue for her marriage to Daniel was the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge.

And they exchanged their rings – which were tied to their wrists – above the harbour as the first of a new program of “micro-wedding” offered by the state government’s Births, Deaths and Marriages department designed to cut the ever increasing costs of the big day but still include something special.

The newlyweds said they were trying to save for a home and the micro-wedding kept more funds for a deposit in their pockets.

Sam Forbutt and Dan Stevens after getting married at the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Picture: Tim Hunter

The couple’s first kiss. Picture: Tim Hunter

While the average cost of a wedding in Australia is $36,000, the micro-weddings will start at $1049 and allow up to 35 guests.

Other venues for the micro-weddings in Sydney are the Old Clare Hotel in Chippendale, Vaucluse House, the Chinese Garden of Friendship and the Pullman Grand Circular Quay, Bondi Icebergs, Clovelly Surf Club and in Newcastle the Mereweather Surf Club.

Originally published as Weddings post-COVID: How couples are changing up their big day