Atlanta Couples, Wedding Vendors Get Creative In Face Of Coronavirus
Travis and Kenna Grenier got married on March 21 safely at their home and live-streamed the ceremony on Facebook.
Courtesy of Travis and Kenna Grenier
Social distancing from the Coronavirus pandemic has forced many to call off their weddings. One Atlanta couple found a way to make it happen–even if all those well-thought plans changed at the last minute.
“Originally, the worst thing we had to worry about was rain, so this was definitely unexpected,” groom Travis Grenier said.
He was set to marry Kenna Seitz on March 21 in a ceremony with 250 guests. Since national guidelines requested the public to limit gatherings to no more than 10 people, they decided to get hitched in their home and share it via Facebook live stream.
The Grenier’s both dressed in full wedding attire and said their “I dos” virtually. Hundreds of family and friends celebrated through comments. The couple danced to “Linger” by the Cranberries, ate cake, tossed the bouquet, and even said their own toasts.
“I toast to be with you in a pandemic,” Seitz said gleefully.
Grenier continued, “Yeah, if this doesn’t break us, then nothing will.”
They’ve postponed the reception. As for wedding vendors, COVID-19 has had a huge financial impact on their businesses. Daniel Francis, executive director of Shade Tree Kitchens, said he’s lost a lot of business due to the pandemic.
“It cut about $160,000 of our income in four days. It just collapsed the catering business,” he said.
He decided to re-purpose some of the food they had already prepped.
“So we took the food that we had, and we made it into individual meals and then made it available to people to buy for $6.50 a meal for what we call a ‘Six Meal Deal’ or a ‘Six-pack,’” Francis said.
This uncertain time is causing many couples to have questions, and Atlanta wedding planner Anastasiia Kogan is offering free advice on Instagram.
Kogan’s most frequently asked question from couples is: “how long should we wait to make the final decision on our wedding date?” She advises them to start by contacting their vendors immediately.
“Luckily, a lot of vendors are being extremely helpful and flexible waiving any sort of fee associated with postponement,” said Kogan.
As for Susan and Jeff Buffington, owners of Cold Creek Farm, they are helping couples who still want to elope at their venue.
Susan Buffington said, “Come Hell or high water, we will get it done for you. I mean, we’re just jumping through every hoop that comes before us, and as long as the government doesn’t shut us down and we can get everybody on board who needs to be on board, then that’s what we’re doing for our couples.”
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