Update July 30th for the in-person event:
We are feeling good about our ability to make the wedding weekend as safe as possible, but of course no plan is perfect and we can’t control what happens outside our specific events. So we wanted to provide some information and our latest thinking on the wedding to ensure you all have current resources to make the best decision for you and your families.
Current situation in Nebraska:
When we decided to go forward with a scaled-down in-person event, we hoped that by this point in the year, cases would be near zero, life would have adjusted to a safe new normal, and our wedding would be able to go on with some small adjustments. Obviously that’s not quite the case.
Nebraska Covid cases were relatively low in the spring but are now catching up with other areas, though we have so far been spared a huge post-reopening surge. There are around 250 cases per day statewide and 58 in our county yesterday. There is some evidence of an upward trend in our percent of positive tests with rates around the national average of 9.5% upon last update. Nebraska has also been added to New York and Chicago travel advisory lists due to the number of positive cases per 100k residents. Updates on case numbers in our county can be found here. Our mayor enacted a mask mandate for public indoor spaces 2 weeks ago and Omaha’s mask mandate will go into effect August 3rd. We hope these protective measures will serve to drive case numbers down over the next month.
Our venue, the Sheldon Museum of Art, is on the campus of the University of Nebraska and at this time, the plan is for students to return to campus in person 2 weeks before our wedding. We don’t anticipate any interactions with the general student population during our event, but do know that the museum will be open to the public during the day (closes at 5pm) and the bathroom available at the wedding requires you to go into the museum.
Our plan:
With all that is troublesome and stressful in the world right now, we feel incredible privilege to be able to work with our vendors and make safety adjustments that allow us to still have our wedding. However with this privilege comes a great responsibility from us as hosts and from you as guests. We truly believe there is a safe way to have our wedding but it requires some cooperation from all of us. As hosts, the safety measures we have in place so far:
Outdoors: The wedding and rehearsal dinner will be held outdoors. Bathroom use will be indoors and with the local mask mandate, we encourage guests to bring their own masks for use on bathroom trips. We plan to have some dancing, but ask that you respect the distance of others on the dance floor.
Distancing: There is ample room for spacing out chairs for the ceremony. For the reception, our ~50 guests will be seated ~6 guests per round table that normally seat 8-10, all spaced at least 6 feet apart. We weren’t big on the idea of seating charts prior to Covid, but we may now have one to ensure everyone has a safe seat. Guests will also be welcome to spread chairs out further or seat themselves at picnic tables stationed around the venue.
Hand sanitizer and handwashing: We highly encourage everyone to be diligent about handwashing at our event. Because the bathroom is a bit of a walk and is inside the museum, we will have plenty of hand sanitizer available. Dinner will be served by a buffet attendant and desserts will be plated individually.
Your role:
Here’s how you can help everyone have a safe, amazing day:You can say no: We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again; your comfort and safety matter to us and if anything about our event makes you feel stressed or uncomfortable, please know that we understand and want you to do what feels best to you. You will absolutely not be the first guest to send their regrets and while we’ll miss you, we’re excited that the virtual option will be available to you if you’re able to join us that way.
Please DO say no if: you have a positive Covid test, feel in any way ill, are febrile, or have come in contact with an ill person in the last 10 days without proper PPE.
Bring your mask: With the main events outdoors, there will be no formal mask requirements but please bring one for the bathroom and feel free to wear them as you see fit. Extended face-to-face conversations within six feet are another situation where public health experts generally recommend masks.
Consider getting tested, if possible: The bride and groom plan to be Covid tested the week of the wedding and self-isolate as best as possible. If testing is easily accessible in your state, it may provide helpful information if guests are able to get tested beforehand as well. Because manyof you will be travelling cross-country to get here, we realize a negative Covid test before you leave is not going to guarantee a risk-free event, but it could identify asymptomatic positives. Not at all a requirement of course, but something to consider if testing has improved in your state like it has here in Nebraska.
Travel safe: For those who are flying or considering it, the attached article has some guidance on how to do so as safely as possible.