FAQs about Weddings in Illinois
Tiny weddings mean it’s just you and your officiant (and a handful of guests). Photo courtesy of Artisan Events.
Let me preface this article by emphasizing that I am not a public health expert. Nor am I am epidemiologist or an infectious diseases professional. (If I were, I probably wouldn’t have time to write this right now.) I am a reasonably well-informed human with decent research skills and reasoning ability, and with strong opinions. The following is based on those last three qualities.
At least here in Illinois, we’re still a long way from being able to have large weddings with crowded dance floors. I wish I knew when we’d be back to having fun, but my crystal ball is acting finicky these days. So, let’s talk about what is possible now and what is going to be possible in the near future. Here are a few questions that I have come across.
Can you get married right now in Illinois? Since late May/early June (depending on whether you’re in the city or anywhere else in the state), weddings have been possible again. Hooray! There can only be ten people in attendance, though, and that includes your officiant, your photographer, your photographer’s assistant, your planner, and the two of you. In other words, if you want to have guests at your wedding, you will have to do some thinking about which professionals you also want to attend. Here’s how I would do it: I would have just the officiant and one photographer. That would mean you could have six guests, for a total of ten people. And, no, you can’t have six guests at one time and another six guests when they leave.
And don’t forget that everyone needs to wear masks and that people from separate households need to stand at least six feet apart. That part doesn’t change, even for a wedding. If I understand the rules correctly, that also means that a shared meal will be out of the question. You can’t eat and drink with a face mask on! And those masks will have to stay on. So, while you may be able to get married, having a reception of any kind is extremely unlikely. Drinking and dancing will have to wait. But at least there are safe (or safer) ways to hug people!
It’s also not entirely clear that it’s possible to get a marriage license everywhere. In Cook County, it looks as if there is now an online application for a license. Other counties seem to have different requirements, so be sure to check whether you can get a license in the county you’re getting married in.
When will “real” weddings start again? And by “real,” I mean crowds, drinking, dancing, and unlimited fun. This is the million-dollar question. Phase 4 of the state’s re-opening plan is currently on track to begin June 26. Assuming that goes forward, gatherings of up to 50 people will be permitted (including all professionals on site), but “face coverings and social distancing [will be] the norm.”
Phase 2 and Phase 3 look like they are lasting for 28 days each. I’m a little skeptical, though, that Phase 4 will only last for that long. I don’t think we are only two months away from a total return to normal. I could be wrong, but if there isn’t an effective treatment or no new cases for an extended period of time, I don’t believe we’ll be back to normal. (I’m not even thinking about a vaccine at this point. It’s still too early.)
Are outdoor weddings safer than indoor weddings? I have not seen anything definitive on the answer to this question, but from what I am reading, I would give a tentative and qualified yes to it. Please keep in mind that just because you are outdoors does not mean you can relax any of the other rules!! But since good ventilation seems to be one of the keys to keeping the virus from spreading, outdoors is often a better bet than indoors. Of course, that means you have to deal with the weather, but your planner knows a few tent companies who can help you out.
Do you have other questions? You can always contact me, and we can talk!
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