5 creative ways to celebrate your should have been wedding day in lockdown

2020 has seen thousands of couples having to re-schedule their weddings. In the first national lockdown in March this year it became clear that couples were still trying to celebrate what should have been their wedding day and mark the occasion in some way. As restrictions began to be lifted and we were allowed back into society, couples who had postponed their weddings until later in the year or further were able to celebrate by having a nice weekend away somewhere, treating themselves to a meal in their favourite restaurant or even getting creative and handing out their wedding favours and flowers on a hospital ward. With lockdown number two upon us and weddings on-hold once again, we’ve taken inspiration from these creative couples to suggest ways you can celebrate and stay safe. 

1 Re-create your first date/holiday together 

Here’s a chance to let your imaginations run wild... Re-create a beach holiday by donning your flipflops and sunnies, turn the heating up, play some tunes that remind you of the holiday and perhaps indulge in your favourite holiday cocktail, made at home... if you want to go the whole hog stick your feet in a bowl of water and imagine you’re dipping your toes in the ocean. 

If your first date was a romantic meal, you could re-create this by making a nice meal and dressing up nicely – or create a new memory by having a picnic at home. If you met walking your dogs on the beach re-visit the spot with your four-legged friends and take advantage of the fact that you are allowed out to exercise – your pooch will love being included too. 

2 Make a time capsule 

Let’s face it, 2020 has been a pretty unusual year which hopefully, most of us will never see the like of again. Collect together things that sum up this year – perhaps your wedding invitations or any favours with should-have been dates on them, pictures of you and your partner and the things you have been able to do. Everyone has been capturing lockdown memories whether it’s garden renovations, home-made bread or socially-distanced meetings. Pick the good memories and perhaps even write a letter to your future selves about what you have learnt about yourselves and your relationship this year. Bury the capsule – in the back of the shoe cupboard/wardrobe – and make a date to open it on your one year anniversary. Your wedding will happen and once it has and time has passed, it might be nice to look back and see how your relationship grew during these pressing times. 

3 Hold a YouTube dance party 

One of the things my husband and I love to do is to search for favourite songs and their videos on YouTube and dance along. From modern day to the tunes of our youth, or when we met – as the song ends and the channel suggests another it often delights us with a forgotten song, bringing up another memory and can lead to a really entertaining night – guests seem to love it too on the odd occasion we’ve shared this madness with them. Take this one step further and invite your bridal party to join by a video call and take it in turns to take control of the playlist... 

4 Hold a ceremony at home 

OK, so it might not be legally binding and you might not want to wear your full blown wedding outfits, preferring to keep them for the ‘proper’ wedding but you can still have your moment. Walk down an aisle made up of framed pictures of your nearest and dearest and at the end say some special words to each other – it may not be your wedding vows but taking the time to appreciate each other will make the date special for you. You could choose to keep this just between the two of you or live stream this to your family and friends and ask them all to raise a glass to you afterwards. 

5 Be kind and share the love 

We’re staying home as much as possible but you can go out to volunteer or care for others who need it. Even if it’s just knocking on the door of an elderly neighbour to see if they need help with their shopping - every bit of human contact (that is allowed) and kindness is precious.