The Redo Wedding

Four years ago exactly, the world went into lockdown due to COVID-19. Venues were closed, events forbidden or only allowed with restrictions, masking required.

This was particularly devastating for couples who planned to marry in Spring 2020, and those whom had just gotten engaged over Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Some opted to postpone their weddings for over a year until restrictions lifted and they were able to have the wedding of their dreams.

But most (understandably) could not wait with the uncertainty of not knowing, and chose to modify their weddings. Some opted for a simple courthouse ceremony, many chose fields. All with the notion that “We will have our REAL wedding when this [lockdown] is all over”. We saw wedding photos with the party spaced 6 feet apart, masked. We saw a lot of things that made sense at the time, but four years later, seem so odd to us.

Then the lockdowns lifted. Venues reopened. And couples felt odd about planning that “real” wedding. I’ve heard things from money, to relatives not being able to travel that far again, to feeling silly about having what is essentially a vow renewal only a year or two after marriage. Having two weddings just seemed so…extra. So decadent. It felt wrong to host a big celebration after making it through the devastation COVID-19 brought, when not all did.

And yet, there are still couples out there who can’t help but feel a hurt feeling when they look at their wedding photos. When they think back on what should have been their special day, and they were made to compromise at every corner. For us, we don’t even want to necessarily have an full event - we just wish we had different photos. I wish I had been able to shop for a dress in a store, and had it fitted. I wish I hadn’t been six months pregnant in my photos. There are a lot of “I wish I could have done this differently.”

Why not? Why can’t couples do that? Why can’t they work with venues, vendors, and photographers to stage the photos or event they wanted? I want to encourage those couples to not give up on their dream they had of a real wedding. That was always the plan, the whole reason you compromised. Now is the time to do that Redo Wedding, renew your vows, whatever you want to call it - it’s time to get what YOU wanted!

I felt silly having a redo wedding, wearing a white dress. I felt silly planning things like a traditional wedding…so I created a concept. I created a shoot. Maybe we aren’t doing the whole thing with our friends and family - but you wouldn’t know that from the photos. It’s YOUR Redo - do as much or as little as you want.

So that’s the purpose of the Styled Shoot at Historic Bell Hill House today, March 16th. My couples that were derailed by lockdowns - I want you all to feel comfortable enough to plan something to redo or recreate what you lost during this time. I want my vendors who lost opportunities and revenue to have a chance to make it up. Most of all, I want people to realize that Southern Illinois is truly a wedding destination.