Even in normal times, it’s a good idea to be able to call on experts to handle the details and ensure your wedding ceremony goes smoothly and lives up to expectations.

“Today, with Covid-19, it’s even more valuable,” says Melissa Baum of The Baum Event Company, a Toronto event-planning and design firm specializing in luxury social gatherings. The team, led by Melissa Baum, plan, design, and execute incredible curated and detailed events that speak to each client’s personality and taste, and that hasn’t changed.“

With regulations in constant flux on everything from guest numbers to music to dancing to whether buffets are allowed (not yet), access to a knowledgeable professional who knows how to plan and pivot to meet new circumstances makes things a lot easier.

At the Baum Event Company, Melissa says, “Our goal is to help create the wedding of your dreams. We make sure it’s stress-free, carefree, and as enjoyable for everyone in the wedding party as it is memorable for the couple and guests.”

This includes guests who attend in person and those who may be watching from afar on video, by Zoom, or a streaming service. With guest list restrictions, many weddings involve a greater technological element to enable more friends and family to be ‘present’ than maximums permit.

The big difference for couples getting married now is the high degree of ongoing uncertainty as a result of Covid-19.

Couples are confused as to whether to simply downsize and proceed or wait and see and hope for the best. Melissa says her best advice since nobody can anticipate when life will return to ‘normal,’ is to book your date.

Mostly, couples seem to be sticking to the schedule—often planning to hold another (larger) wedding reception or party when the regular pattern of life resumes.

Once you pick a specific date, you can still play it by ear and adapt to changing regulations or other circumstances affecting, perhaps, out-of-town/province or out-of-country guests. You may still decide to proceed or, at that time, accept the consequences and reschedule.

However, it’s good to keep in mind that weddings are booked a season ahead usually. Popular dates fill up quickly for venues and all types of suppliers and services, and this hasn’t changed. So even if you’re planning a smaller ceremony with a restricted guest list, Melissa suggests scheduling your ceremony ASAP.

A firm date allows the couple to reserve and confirm the venue for the ceremony and reception and book preferred vendors and suppliers. You’ll be able to relax, knowing that your choices for flowers, catering, hair stylists, videographers, photographers, and makeup artists are available.

In extenuating circumstances, where perhaps a close family member’s health or changing travel options leads to a delay, situations are addressed on a case by case basis, Melissa says, “We do our very best to keep the clients happy.”

If you would like to get married next year and haven’t yet picked a date, starting sooner rather than later with enough advance time and sufficient leeway to book and confirm supplier services and dates to suit your schedule will make all the difference.  So will having a skilled wedding planner working on your behalf to make sure your ceremony comes together in every way as you anticipate.

For wedding planning in the time of Covid—since we don’t know when it will end or what may happen next—an experienced planner should be able to design, manage, and coordinate all the intricate elements and details that go into making your ceremony perfect.

At Baum Event, Melissa says they are skilled at taking care of details from concept and coordination, and this includes handling and adapting to new circumstances. Planning and follow through from start to finish is well within the daily scope of work for this company that specializes in weddings, but also handles a range of events from mitzvahs to corporate in normal times.

Baum is also experienced in planning destination weddings—although, for now, these are on few wish lists.

“The pandemic and restrictions on gatherings make it trickier but also more important to have help to stay on top of things.

“Oversight to ensure anything that may be needed to accommodate the pandemic is done correctly and safely takes the stress off. Even if the guest lists are smaller and there are limits on dancing and socializing, we all still dream of having the perfect wedding.

“We’re very pleased that we’re able to continue to offer the same high level of in-depth and quality service as pre-pandemic.”

For more information, contact: [email protected]