The lockdown wedding trend that is here to stay

Many couples getting married during lockdown relied on technology to help them celebrate with friends and family who could not be there in person. As lockdown eases and weddings of greater numbers can take place again, wedding industry experts believe that the use of technology in weddings is a trend that is here to stay.

Weddings and receptions with up to 15 attendees can take place from 12 April. The number of attendees increases to 30 from 17 May and the Government has indicated that, subject to certain public health criteria being met, all limits will be removed from weddings from 21 June.

“I expect hybrid weddings – with guests attending in-person and others joining virtually – will continue to be popular,” says Hazel Parsons, award-winning wedding organiser from Out of the Ordinary Weddings in Cornwall.

She adds: “The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of technology in many areas of our lives, and weddings are no exception. Live streaming has helped couples getting married in lockdown to share their celebrations with family and friends who are unable to attend in person. Even after coronavirus restrictions are lifted, I expect that trend to continue.”

One business that is tapping into this trend is Cornish family business CherryTop Weddings.

“Although the idea for CherryTop Weddings came before Covid-19, the interactive experience we have developed meets Covid-19 safety rules and is a perfect way to bring together guests who attend in person and guests who join virtually. It injects fun and brings people together no matter the size of wedding and if everyone is in the same room or not,” explains Alex Ridd, General Manager of CherryTop Weddings.

There are two elements to CherryTop Weddings’ experience: printed personalised Love Story booklets with activities and games for guests to enjoy, and an online interactive ‘Wedding Wall’, where guests can take part in activities, share their photographs, well wishes and watch a live stream.

“When we were developing CherryTop Weddings we had several things in mind. We wanted to allow couples to inject their own personality, which they can do by using their own photos and selecting and creating the games and activities that appeal to them. We also wanted to make it easy. Technology should enhance a couple’s special day, not detract from it,” says Alex Ridd.

He added: “When people are watching a wedding via livestream, it can be easy for them to feel a bit left out. By allowing those guests to participate in games and activities in real time, we hope to overcome that and make the day fun and memorable for everyone.”

CherryTop Weddings’ bespoke content management system has been developed in conjunction with Newquay-based technology company Flowmoco.

For more information, please visit www.cherrytopweddings.com