At Home Places Winter 2021

BRIDAL TRENDS

What will weddings look like in 2021? Pandemic throws nuptial plans for a loop, but with patience and flexibility, they can be just as magical

Lauren Brenneman's wedding ring sits on top of her bridal bouquet. Photo courtesy of Wertman Photography

written by LAUREN LAROCCA

While many wedding plans were upended in 2020, with brides-to-be having to postpone or completely revise original ideas, those who embraced the unprecedented COVID times and went with the flow might have had surprisingly pleasant results, and their weddings became beacons of light amid a harsh year.

Lauren Brenneman, who lives in Hagerstown, said that while friends of hers who had already planned weddings — hired caterers, booked venues — were tied to those plans

and struggled to decide how to proceed, she and her fiancé were in the unique situation of getting engaged, planning a wedding and getting married — all during the pandemic.

“We were a weird COVID marriage story,” Brenneman said. “We were lucky because we were able to start fresh … and we didn’t have any expectations and plans.”

Two weeks prior to getting married, they booked a micro-wedding package at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Va., a site that allowed visitors short time slots throughout the day in various pockets of the gardens to

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Lauren Brenneman and Mike Lopez opted for a micro wedding at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Va. Photos courtesy of Wertman Photography

hold their weddings.

They bought bulk food at Sam’s Club in lieu of hiring a caterer, Brenneman found her dream dress at a consignment thrift shop in Pennsylvania, and one of their friends got ordained in order to marry them. They kept the wedding small, open only to family and a few close friends. It was important to Brenneman and her husband, Mike Lopez, to get married in front of family, rather than elope or go to a courthouse.

“It was a really beautiful thing, the way it all happened,” Brenneman said. “Previously (prior to the pandemic), I would’ve worried about everything being perfect, but because we did everything so off-the-cuff, we were able to just enjoy our day. There was no drama about who’s invited and who’s not. We were able to just focus on our union, instead of every detail about the ceremony. And it really was like a fairy-tale day. We got married in a fairy-tale garden.”

Couples planning weddings in the midst of the pandemic are likely to run into many hurdles, including difficulty finding the right rings, getting a dress appointment, and finding venues, caterers and wedding photographers. But with flexibility, weddings can still be magical.

Big weddings are out; small weddings are in

Like Brenneman and Lopez, many couples who wanted a traditional wedding, surrounded by friends and family, are not suddenly choosing to elope or get married at the local courthouse because of coronavirus restrictions. Rather, they are downsizing their guest lists and hosting more intimate events.

For some, that downsizing has been a matter of state laws, which restrict capacity at indoor venues. Other couples have chosen smaller weddings out of concern for family members.

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Kaylee Smith of Mercersburg, Pa., planned a December 2020 wedding with her fiancé, Billy Block, to be held in the chapel at her church, Emmanuel Baptist Temple in Hagerstown. But they decided to move it to the church’s main sanctuary, at the suggestion of church staff. The sanctuary allows for safe social distancing, even with a reduced guest list.

“We’re set on doing it in December, even if it’s just the two of us,” Smith said.

company implemented a touchless check-in, as well as a crowd-meter feature on the Planet Fitness mobile app.

“Typically, we have members looking to get in shape before their weddings,” Drummond said. “With COVID, there was a decline, as weddings have been postponed. We are ready to help those getting married achieve their fitness goals in a safe environment.”

Michelle Eyler performs a NeoSkin Laser treatment to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, even out skin tone, reduce pore size and aid skin tightening by regrowing collagen and elastin lost with aging. Submitted photo

Planet Fitness patrons practice social fitnessing. Submitted photo

Looking your best before the big day

In the early days of the pandemic, many homeboundpeople were commiserating about the “COVID 15” — extraweight they put on from less physical activity, and moredrinking and snacking during the day.

Others, especially couples wanting to look their bestfor their weddings, headed to local gyms, which closedthroughout Maryland in March and reopened with newsafety guidelines.

Planet Fitness in Hagerstown, for example, requires allmembers to wear masks when not doing strenuous exercise,and the equipment is spaced out to assure propersocial distancing.

Justin Drummond, COO of PF Growth Partners LLC,said it is called “social fitnessing.”

The number of staff has increased so more people areavailable to clean and disinfect the space and equipment,and foggers/sprayers are used to dispense a nontoxiccleaner on all equipment regularly throughout the day. The

Skin treatments

Michelle Eyler, owner of Ageless Skin and Laser Center in Hagerstown, helps boost couples’ confidence by offering skin treatments so they look their best. She offers acne therapy, laser hair removal, hair restoration, injectables and more.

“I have future brides trying out neurotoxins, like Botox,” Eyler said. “I have mothers of brides and grooms trying dermal fillers to reduce lip lines and smile lines, and I have mothers and grandmothers coming in for my NeoSkin laser to refresh and rejuvenate their skin for the big day.”

Like many people, Eyler offers virtual consultations to accommodate people who are hesitant to come into the office, but she said many clients feel safer at her spa when they learn that she is the only employee, which limits exposure to other people.

The bling

Hagerstown’s R. Bruce Carson Jewelers has been affected by the coronavirus in an interesting way. The staff has no-

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ticed a new trend surfacing: couplessometimes opt for a nice piece ofjewelry in lieu of a big wedding orhoneymoon.

The Platinum Round Halo Diamond Engagement Ring by R. Bruce Carson Jewelers. Submitted photo

“We actually noticed more customers wanting to getengaged and shopping for engagement rings since the pandemicstarted,” said Ashley Newcomer-Mills, vice presidentof R. Bruce Carson Jewelers Ltd. “I know a lot of coupleshave had to change their wedding plans and have stillgotten married. Even couples celebrating an anniversary bygoing on a trip or out to a nice dinner have had to cancel —and instead have bought a beautiful piece of jewelry.”

Leiter recalled a young woman who originally planned a spring wedding on a family farm with 150 guests, which Leiters’ was going to cater.

“She decided to go forward with it, with just immediate family, and it was so cute. She said her aunt made her cake, (she) and her mom set everything up, and her cousin made a covered-dish meal. It was just so touching,” Leiter said. “She said, ‘The day was still filled with love, even if it was not the day I thought it would be.’”

Leiter was told by a few brides-to-be that they went ahead with a small wedding in 2020, but are planning a big one-year-anniversary party in 2021.

The dress

Most bridal shops in the area are open by appointment only, everyone must wear masks while there, and the shops are functioning at limited capacity. That means a brideto-be might not have the usual option to bring along her mother or the entire bridal party to try on dresses or do fittings together.

Some people have chosen to purchase their gowns — or tuxes — online and then hire bridal shop staff or local seamstresses to do their fittings, as online shopping provides more variety and the option to return items within a limited window of time.

‘COVID cafeteria-style’ catering

The biggest change to food is the elimination of people serving themselves in buffet lines. Caterers like Leiters’ Fine Catering in Williamsport now require that one staff member serve a line of guests along the buffet, cafeteria-style. Staff members wear masks and gloves.

“We call it ‘COVID cafeteria style,’” said Teri Leiter, owner of the company, which serves a 100-mile radius around Williamsport. “Because there’s only one line, it takes twice as long to serve, but we’re following all the rules and being safe.”

The company also saw many cancellations throughout 2020 due to the virus, as well as weddings that totally changed in scope — including what food everyone would be eating.

Venues shift to meet needs

Most wedding venues have remained open, but have tolimit capacity throughout the pandemic as restrictions aremandated by the states.

Some staff have had to rethink how their spaces couldbe used. Could an outdoor-only area be opened? Couldweddings move to a larger space inside, in some cases?

Everything from churches to botanical gardens have restructuredtheir wedding packages to give couples optionsthat are safe.

In the heart of downtown Hagerstown, The MarylandTheatre offers a few elegant options for weddings in newlyrenovated spaces.

Perhaps the theater’s most elegant area is its grand ballroom.It’s large with hardwood floors and a dramatic chan-

Maryland Theatre ballroom. Photo by Sam Kittner

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can still get things like an album, and flexibility is built in.”

For instance, Wertman Photography’s smallest package provides two hours of photography with one photographer and a small photo album keepsake.

“Offering these smaller packages seems to answer a need for people who still want good photography of their weddings,” Wertman said.

Because engagement photos are often shot outdoors, not much has changed in that arena, she said.

Maryland Theatre cocktail lounge. Photo by Sam Kittner

delier, whose color can be altered to match each wedding.

Events also are held in the theater lobby, which includesa grand staircase that some wedding parties like to utilize,as well as the main auditorium, which is typically used forperformances. For dramatic effect, couples can get married

onstage, while their friends and family watch from theauditorium seats, and then the curtains are raised onstageto open up to a seated reception area.

“Some people like to use the auditorium with the stagebecause they think that’s really unique,” said Melissa Fountain,events manager at The Maryland Theatre.

She added that vow renewals and intimate weddingpackages have been more popular during the pandemic.

“Weddings may not be as large or contain everythingthey wanted, but couples are able to celebrate the mostimportant day of their life — and maybe save some moneyfor a honeymoon,” Fountain said.

Photography

Because weddings are being downsized, wedding photographyneeds are often reduced, as well.

Monika Wertman, owner of Wertman Photography inHagerstown, said many couples in 2020 chose elopementsand small weddings, so she adjusted her wedding packagesto fit those needs.

“I had (photographed) a courthouse wedding earlier inthe year, and that got me thinking,” Wertman said. “Now wehave options for people to hire us for less hours, but they

Destination weddings are still possible, with a little planning

Like so many other facets of weddings in the time ofCOVID, destination weddings might not look exactly theway couples imagined, but they can still happen, and bequite wonderful and exotic.

Wanda Keefer, owner of All Seasons Vacations in Mercersburg,Pa., has worked with clients to help them arrangedestination weddings, as well as honeymoons, throughoutthe pandemic, primarily to the Caribbean islands. A longtimetravel agent, Keefer said some of her clients, most ofwhom are based in the Tri-State region, thought they wouldhave to postpone or cancel their plans until Keefer workedher magic to show them what was possible, but also safe.“We can always reschedule a vacation, but we can’treschedule your life,” Keefer said. “I’m holding their handevery step of the way — making sure they’re going to theright place to get a COVID test, making sure they know allthe procedures and guidelines at the places they’re travelingto. And I’ve made myself available to them 24/7. They havemy cellphone number. I’m on Facebook messenger.”

Keefer said people have realized the importance oftravel agents more than ever during the pandemic, sinceit’s their job to know the ins and outs of traveling to variouslocations.

“I have the cellphone number to the prime minister inJamaica,” Keefer pointed out. “Booking something online,on your own — you just don’t get these benefits. And youdon’t pay more for a travel agent; the trip will cost you the same.” — Places