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Wedding Etiquette Forum
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Etiquette for Corona Comments
Does anyone have any tips on the most polite responses to questions/comments like, "You know they wont have a vaccine by [insert wedding date here], and you're still having your wedding?!" and "You are putting everyone at risk of catching the virus by putting them in the same room together."
We will not be moving our wedding date for Corona and instead are having a smaller guest list.
Getting a lot of similar questions from someone that I cannot leave off of the guest list...
Would appreciate any guidance on the most polite way to respond. Thanks
We will not be moving our wedding date for Corona and instead are having a smaller guest list.
Getting a lot of similar questions from someone that I cannot leave off of the guest list...
Would appreciate any guidance on the most polite way to respond. Thanks
Re: Etiquette for Corona Comments
Consider that in this instance, your wedding guests are members of the community and therefore how you host your wedding actually has an impact on every community in which your wedding guests live. Here is an article regarding how one couple went against CDC protocols, hosted 100 people (a "smaller" wedding depending on who you ask) and they along with 8 guests contracted Covid-19. That's about 10% of the people in attendance that contracted a disease that's killed 154,000 Americans alone.
When people ask what you're doing they ask because in this instance whether or not they are guests, your guests are their community members. Large events are risks as noted by the CDC.
So now your obligation is to either reconsider and have an extremely intimate wedding that follows CDC guidance or consider the risks. At minimum you are going to need to have protocols in place for a socially distant ceremony, masks required for wear when people aren't eating and more tables spaced far apart with no dancing.
If you can't keep this to guests who are already cohorting together (as in all guests are already all in the same bubble) and understand that many who are concerned will decline you may have a smaller wedding than you thought.
If you're not taking precautions to keep everyone safe, I guess your response is "we don't care."
Your guest-that-you-can't-leave-off-the-guestlist is correct. I'm assuming it's an immediate family member, someone who "has" to be in attendance? The most polite way to respond is to move your wedding from a room to an open, outdoor space. And ditto PP, require masks and make sure there's adequate social distancing.
"We are requiring masks and putting family groups six feet apart."
"We won't have any congregational singing" (if a church wedding)
"Our caterers are all masked and gloved and will be serving people rather than having a buffet"
"Our venue is using negative pressure ventilation"
"We'll have a livestream of our ceremony for people who aren't able to attend due to concerns about Covid-19"
Stuff like that is a very polite way to address their concerns without dismissing them.
Knowing that sarcasm can be hard to understand when spoken it's even harder to understand in writing and when thrown in the middle of other suggestions.
That said, I think we are all on the same page that the OP needs to be very clear ith all the precautions that will be in place at her event so any guests know how to make an informed decision regarding whether or not they will be attending.