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Lessons Learned During The COVID-19 Pandemic As A Wedding DJ

25 December 2020

My last wedding of this crazy year of 2020 was actually back on Saturday, December 5. Lauren & John were my last clients of the year and were married at Rivertowne Country Club in Mt. Pleasant. John serves our country in the United States Air Force. As a show of my support, I always provide active duty military with a 10% discount on my services.  In the weeks leading up to their wedding, COVID 19 cases had begun to surge in South Carolina as we were just about a week or so past Thanksgiving. I've got to be very honest with you. This virus has been scary to manuever around; perhaps if we all knew how it affect us if we were to get it, I'd be less scared. But the truth of the matter is this virus affects different people in different ways, so you have to keep your guard up.  You are going to find out as you read through this post that I am torn as a seasoned, professional wedding DJ as to whether these gatherings should be happening.  You'll also learn some of the things I've learned during this horrible global pandemic.

When this pandemic shut down the wedding industry back in March and April timeframe, no one knew how to treat this new normal, and now close to 10 months into the pandemic, even the most seasoned professionals still don't know how things are going to turn out.  For some of my initial viewpoints on how COVID-19 could affect the wedding industry, <----Click HERE.  While weddings began to happen by the late spring and early summer, things were going to be a lot different as we moved forward.  Fortunately for me, I managed to only have one of my clients completely "cancel" their wedding.    With all of us seasoned wedding vendors not knowing how to meander around this new normal, there were so many of us who did not know how to handle cancellations and postponements.  For the weddings that I was able to successfully postpone and reschedule for a later date, they went off without a hitch. 

 It's Too Hard To Socially Distance
As we get into these 5 Lessons Learned As A Wedding DJ During The COVID-19 Pandemic, you'll see a common theme of all these lessons learned. One thing is for sure, weddings are very "social" gatherings. There is always a lot of hugging and kissing going on. And when you add in alcohol to the equation, there are simply no boundaries for this. Once alcohol gets into the systems of your guests, they easily forget that a deadly pandemic is happening. When the modern bride and groom invite 120 guests to their wedding, they can expect to be hugged and kissed 120 times. This is ALOT of  social content when we are not supposed to be this close.  At the weddings I've performed at during the COVID pandemic, I've observed that it is virtually impossible to adhere to social distancing guidelines. 

Chairs Spaced For Social Distancing At Weddings

Weddings Can Be Smaller And There Is Nothing Wrong With That
Almost all of my clients opted to reduce their guest list due to the COVID 19 pandemic. And you know what? There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Don't ever let anyone tell you that you need to invite 200 people to your wedding.  More guests = More money for your wedding. Getting married and having a grandiose affair hasn't decreased in price and in the Holy City has increased annually over the past 4-5 years.  The worst global pandemic in 100 years has caused a financial strain in a lot of our lives.  Job losses and uncertainty about the future have caused a lot of modern brides and grooms to rethink how their wedding is going to be.   Smaller weddings can be in many cases much more memorable because they are more intimate and give you the opportunity to get social with those loved ones who travelled to see you have the time of your life on the happiest day of your life. A huge wedding can inhibit you from socializing and getting around to meet and greet all the guests that you invited. Smaller weddings and even a "micro wedding" are ok and don't let anyone tell you it's not ok. Numerous wedding planners have begun to add these "micro" weddings into their offerings, and you can have just as classy affair.

Small Wedding During COVID 19 Pandemic

Weddings Were Not Meant To Have ANY Restrictions
Let's face it. Weddings are social occasions. Depending on your personal preference, your wedding day will include a special drink prepared by your bartender for you and your guests to enjoy.  And since most modern weddings are stocked with an open bar for you and your guests to enjoy, it doesn't take long for the inhibitions to leave after even a few drinks.   For every modern bride and groom who has opted to have their wedding during the COVID 19 pandemic, good intentions have always been there in regards to keeping their guests safe. However, when you mix alcohol with the music provided by a top wedding DJ, it's virtually impossible to maintain a safe distance and wear a mix while dancing.  Some wedding venues have made an effort to do temperature checks  at the door to try to maintain safety, but since it's not being done across the board at ALL venues, it sort of defeats the purpose.  While the intentions of the venue are good as it pertains to checking temperatures, I'm not sure I would want to be on the receiving end of the fallout when your uncle is not able enter a wedding reception because he has a fever.  You don't need to have a fever to have COVID-19. He might be coming down with the flu or some other type of viral infection.  So it's easy to see  how your uncle (who lives in New York and sees you every 5 years) could be angry if he's not allowed to enter into your wedding reception.  At times like this, there are no easy answers.

COVID 19 Pandemic Bartender At Wedding Drinks

No Global Pandemic Will Ever Stop The Love Of Modern Brides And Grooms
At the weddings I've even able to perform at during this pandemic, you can clearly tell that tensions are running high. Back during the summer as I was preparing to get back into the swing of things with weddings, we were watching the daily case counts like they were our stocks invested in the stock market. The cases were going up and down, but when I got set up at these weddings, there was one thing that had not changed since pre-COVID and that's the love that was shown by the bride and groom. I'll never forget the first dance at my first wedding back. While they were dancing, I was thinking to myself. "What pandemic?". Then as soon as I had that thought, I saw a few people wearing masks and immediately was reminded we were in the midst of one of the worst pandemics in 100 years.  Love will conquer this pandemic, but all brides and grooms need to be careful and understand there is a bit of a risk. 

Bride And Groom Walking On The Beach

 The Verdict: Weddings Probably Should Not Be Happening......But
Much to the chagrin of any local wedding industry professionals who come across this blog, it's my opinion that weddings probably should not be happening.  The fact that they are happening has a lot to do with the loose restrictions in the state of South Carolina, combined with the fears that a lot of brides and grooms have about losing their pre-COVID investments in their wedding day.  The best wedding professionals will work with you to move your wedding date without any hesitation. For me personally, I made it through 2020 with only ONE official cancellation. Other wedding vendors were not so lucky, but when you are an owner-operated professional wedding DJ like me, the chances that I am going to be able to accomodate your new wedding date when you reschedule due to the pandemic are much greater.  Find out why I am a wedding DJ who specializes in ONE wedding per day. <----Click HERE to learn more.   Being a professional wedding DJ is not the only source of income for me as I have learned that in a VERY overcrowded and oversaturated market like Charleston, you must have alternative sources of income.  Putting all your eggs in one basket in an increasingly oversaturated wedding market is a horrible thing to do and some wedding vendors are finding that out as we continue to meander through this uncertain time. If you found this blog, thank you so much! If you just got engaged and are looking at 2021 to have a wedding, I would not book a wedding venue until the vaccine is rolled out more and more. While bookings are certainly down right now, I am thinking that the fall of 2021 or winter of 2022 might  be looking up. If you do decide to book a spring or summer 2021, scale your guest list down and save money in the process. Be considerate of your guests that might be scared to travel though and if you truly want to have a wedding where you can feel like things are normal, enjoy your engagement and wait until COVID-19 is a thing of the past.  Find out why you should NOT cancel your wedding due to COVID-19 by clicking the link down below.
Why You Should Not Let COVID-19 Cancel Your Wedding
Mike Bills Is A Wedding DJ Who Is Ready And Sanitized For Your Big Day  <--Find out Mike's approach to COVID.

Ready To Speak To Mike Bills Right Now About Being Your Wedding DJ?
Thank you so much again for me and making it all the way to the end of this blog! Congratulations on your engagement! I invite you now to take a deep breath and relax. With over 100 reviews now on Weddingwire, I've proven my professionalism and class as it pertains to performing at the wedding of a modern bride and groom.  I would love to speak with you about your wedding. All you need to do is click on the link up above and you'll be taken over to my contact form where you'll be asked for some quick details about your big day. We'll then schedule a time to talk! I look forward to speaking with you about your big day!