Jacksonville bride Meagan Bryan had her heart set for her wedding this upcoming spring until news came about the COVID-19 outbreak. Little did she know, she would have to postpone the wedding she had been planning for the past two years with her fiancé Noah Dellilo.
Brides everywhere are having to cancel or postpone their weddings due to the outbreak and now, event venues are having to adjust and adapt new concepts to pull through the age of pandemic.
“We had weddings scheduled right after THE PLAYERS, so we started receiving calls the same week the governor closed restaurants and restricted gatherings,” said Derek Sprague, general manager of TPC Sawgrass. “That’s when brides started calling asking what their options were.”
Sprague said some immediate weddings have been canceled, but a majority were postponed until later summer and fall.
“Brides don’t want this pandemic to spoil their special day,” he said. “Our team has done an incredible job, working in rescheduling their day. Everyone has been super cooperative in working with us and planning their event.”
Unfortunately for Bryan, her venue had to temporarily close until May 8 and Friday weddings (her original day of choice) were booked until May of 2021, so she opted for a Thursday wedding for later this year.
“It [stinks],” said Dellilo. “We loved the date we chose, so we’ll still be celebrating that as our anniversary as opposed to the date of our ceremony. We’re expecting less guests, too. I was really looking forward to seeing all our families in one place. My significant other also planned her Masters program around being free for our wedding and honeymoon, so she has a semester off for no reason and then has school surrounding [the time of] our wedding.”
Although weddings are temporarily no longer an option for venues, they can still offer other services like take-out menus, family-style meals and a grocery concept, like TPC Sawgrass has implemented.
“We’re still open, but in a modified concept. We’re offering a butcher block grocery with high-end meats and fish to prepare at home, which has been very successful,” Sprague explained.
“We operate with the highest safety standards on a regular basis, and that has been enhanced to follow the CDC guidelines for social distancing that are now in place. For example, we have added several more hand sanitizers in the clubhouse for patrons who are picking up to-go orders.”
And although Bryan and Dellilo didn’t get their dream wedding date, they are relieved things worked out and are optimistic for the new date.
“We were on our toes, watching the news every day and anxiously waiting to find out,” Bryan said. “Now, we don't feel that anxiety every day. We’re just being thankful. It's for the best and for everyone’s safety. We just have to listen to what the CDC is telling us and hopefully we’ll get through this together.”
