Wedding Postponed?
Here’s What To Do Next.
If your dream wedding was scheduled for 2020, chances are your best-laid plans were thrown into turmoil and you likely had to postpone your big day. But as government-mandated COVID restrictions slowly begin to lift, there are plenty of options for local weddings, both for couples whose Melbourne nuptials have been postponed, as well as those whose destination wedding plans have been involuntarily grounded.
Commercial Hospitality Group senior event manager Laura Larkin says that the dawn of the new year is the best time to revisit your original plans and look to the future. “When discussing the changing landscape with my couples, I have really encouraged them to think about what’s important,” Last week, Sharni and Luke were married on our amazing rooftop, a (literal) far cry from their initial plan to wed in Hawaii. With the money they saved, Sharni and Luke were able to buy a house in 2020 - essentially doubling their joy in a year when many were left yearning for such milestones.
“The more the merrier” no longer applies.
Laura is a believer that fewer guests can equal more frills and more fun - that now, more than ever, it’s important to look on the bright side of having your wedding postponed and getting it all back on track. “Many couples are relishing the substantial savings that come with having fewer guests and putting them towards additional styling or floristry, such as balloon installations or exotic flowers,” she says. Spoiling your guests with additional menu items and a beverage upgrade is always a popular choice, and don’t forget to spoil yourselves by getting in touch with a wedding planner who can take all of the stress away from rebooking suppliers and fussing over the small stuff so you don’t have to.
No travel? No problem!
Sharni and Luke were not able to hop on a plane to that exotic location, like so many of the couples Laura has been working with; however, this certainly doesn’t mean you can’t conjure that destination wedding feeling. “A destination wedding is a popular option because it combines the joy of a wedding with the relaxed vibe of a holiday with all your friends and family.” Think long lunches and amazing dinners with your near and dearest - the diverse spaces available at Bells mean that you can recreate this feeling of being miles away without leaving the venue,” Laura says, With preceding cocktail parties and next-day washups more popular than ever, your celebration no longer needs to be all about a single wedding date.
“The best kinds of venues are those that take your mind away from the grind and transport you to that special place you’d rather be,” Laura adds. “The leafy Topiary at Bells Hotel is one such venue, and its proximity to the CBD makes it easy to create a staycation at a hotel without even having to leave the city.”
Explore the new possibilities
A revamped guest list doesn’t necessarily mean a revamped wedding - although it’s worth thinking about how your new numbers can open up a world of opportunity when it comes to smaller venues. “Intimate weddings have certainly found their niche over the last few years,” Laura says. “Whether it is a small ceremony of 30 in the Gardens, an urban oasis in the Topiary, or a seated feasting event in the Main Hall, what’s amazing about Bells is the myriad event spaces and experiences we have available to couples of all tastes.”
Flexibility matters - but so do your wedding dreams
Your big day can still be completely your design, Laura says, but a bit of flexibility certainly doesn’t go astray. “Think of the must-haves that you and your partner have always wished for – compromising everything you’ve planned sounds like a nightmare, but restrictions have eased enough that this need not be the case at Bells,” she says. “The events team here at CHG is always ready to sit down with couples to work out how we can make their wedding dreams come true, despite the changing circumstances.”
Get in contact with us today and Laura and the team will help turn your dream wedding into a reality!
Phone: (03) 9690 4511 Email: functions@chgaustralia.com