Restrictions are easing after a wave of COVID-19 cases across the United States, which means couples who are eagerly waiting to tie the knot can start planning again.
NBC 6 anchor Sheli Muñiz spoke to one of the most well-known wedding planners in Miami, Guerdy Abraira with Guerdy Design.
SHELI: Weddings have taken a huge hit in the midst of this pandemic, so your last wedding was in March?
GUERDY: Yes, March in Colombia in Cartagena.
SHELI: You found out we were on the brink of this in the middle of this wedding?
GUERDY: Literally, the next day the city was shut down, and we were on the way to the airport and, literally, as we were going ahead to do the wedding and walk the bride down the aisle, I get a notice from police that it is time to shut down.
SHELI: There are so many brides and grooms who are postponing or canceling weddings, what are you finding?
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GUERDY: What we’re promoting is postpone not canceling. With that in mind, the brides are leaving the deposits with the vendor and we’re just moving the date over and then some of us have some brides who can’t wait and so when love can’t wait, we really help them curate a smaller affair with family and friends and then they do their big celebration in about six or seven months from now.
SHELI: So, you have one of the first weddings in August, what’s that going to look like?
GUERDY: We’re still trying to abide by the rules, so we’re still doing the details like we would any other wedding, but we’re social distancing. So, for example, ceremony chairs, instead of being right next to each other, we’re spacing them out a little bit more and you want to find a venue where you can grow. Instead of a round table seating of 12, we’re going to be cutting that in half to six people. Pick a venue that has 50% more of capacity than your guest count so you’re able to grow.
SHELI: How do you console, what do you tell brides and grooms who are really struggling to move their weddings?
GUERDY: I tell them to count their blessings because we are still healthy and with, hopefully, people around who are still healthy. This is a pandemic and again, no one saw it coming. I want them to know that they’re lucky that they found the love to quarantine with, number one, and I think it really tests the waters, "Like, is this really the man of my dreams," and it looks like all my brides are really happy, and now we get to plan and refine all the details for their wedding that’s going to be so incredible. Patience is a virtue.
