Weddings During the Pandemic and Beyond

To say that living and working through the coronavirus pandemic has been difficult is an heck of an understatement!

The “work” part has been especially challenging for the wedding industry, from venues like mine to caterers to all of the wonderful professionals who bring their skills and talents to your wedding.

Here at Chase Court, I’ve had to turn away couples asking for dates, and I have not given an in-person tour since mid-March. There have been a few cancellations, a lot of postponements (with more to come, including two today), and a lot of heartaching conversations with my couples.

I’ve spent a lot of time on research and reading and in conversations with experts to sort out how we can have safe, wonderful, weddings at Chase Court between now and the time when there is a COVID-19 vaccine available.

Here’s what I’ve come up with thus far.

Indoor receptions are simply out of the question. Happily, we have a fantastic ceremony garden.

We have to stay at reduced capacity in all ways in order to honor social distancing restrictions, so the ceremony garden currently seats up to 20 guests. You and your officiant (not counted in the 20) are close to your guests but far enough away to be safe for mask-free kissing and photographs.

Here’s some more good news: Chase Court has been doing what we call elopement ceremonies (AKA small weddings AKA micro-weddings) for over ten years. We’re really good at it. You have your pick of eight different elopement packages and a great list of options, including live music (remarkably inexpensive and soooo nice!), video, and more.

While we have an excellent rain plan, we’re only booking weddings with the plan that they will be held outside, in the ceremony garden. That’s not a bad thing, ’cause I think you’ll love the garden! It’s truly exquisite, lush with green plants and trees, and very private. The twinkle lights in the trees and on the pergola are magical. Our couples say:

“Incredibly beautiful venue with breath-taking gardens!”

and

“…the garden is magical”

and

“…the perfect venue. The garden is more stunning than the pictures…if you can believe it.”

What about receptions?

As a venue owner and manager, my top priority—even before the bottom line—is keeping you and your guests safe.

There is overwhelming evidence that clearly points to the danger of proceeding with an indoor wedding reception in 2020 and in early to mid-2021, and that supports the public health and safety value of postponing wedding receptions into the fall of 2021 or later. All of that information is easily available, so I’m not going to recite any of it here.

I’m absolutely booking wedding ceremonies and receptions as well as elopement ceremonies for the fall of 2021 and beyond. In non-COVID-19 times (which we hope to be in by then!), Chase Court seats up to 125 guests for dinner, accommodate 150 guests cocktail-style, and can host elopement ceremonies from just the two of you up to 60 guests.

Everyone’s situation is unique. Take a look at the website (packed full of info!) and give me a phone call. I’d love to have a conversation with you about your wedding and help you get what you want.

Want a tour? I’m doing live, interactive virtual tours right now. I’d love to see your shining faces! It’s easy and fun! You’ll be able to ask all of your questions and see the whole venue, inside and out. I use Zoom, Facetime, Skype, and Google Duo, depending on your hardware, with the intention being for you to see the largest image possible.

Virtual tours last from 30 to 60 minutes. I schedule them Monday through Saturday, from 11 AM to 6 PM. Give me a call to set one up. Here’s the number: 410-727-1112.

Let’s talk soon.

David L. Egan is the proprietor and steward of the castle at Chase Court, a wedding ceremony and reception venue in downtown Baltimore. Visit chasecourt.com, and follow @chasecourtweddingvenue on Instagram and Facebook