COVID Elopements Make Weddings Possible in 2020
Showcasing the power of community and overcoming obstacles, these Local vendors rallied together to bring an incredible wedding to life.
photography: MCurran Photo
Lea and Kyle were so excited to get married;
they had been engaged for four years and couldn’t wait to finally tie the knot.
After selecting The Hemingway Room at The Commons for the backdrop for their Big Day, the happy couple spent almost a year planning their dream wedding for 120 guests. Hours were spent agonizing over details such as designing the room to reflect their personal taste, finding the perfect food and beverage accompaniment, and selecting a floral scheme that was at once beautiful and understated.
In March of 2020, the Coronavirus quickly made its way from obscure newsfeeds and off-hand dinner conversations, to being an imminent threat resulting in lockdowns across the country. 2020 was turning into a tumultuous and unpredictable year and Lea and Kyle found themselves counted among the unfortunate couples whose wedding would be affected by strict government restrictions. Within this climate of immense uncertainty, Lea and
Kyle made the difficult decision to call off their wedding and contacted The Commons to cancel.
Erynn Lyster, co-owner and Creative Director at The Commons, was, along with many others in the local Calgary events industry, trying to manage an unprecedented situation in real time and was faced with the difficult task of having dozens of difficult conversations with couples just like Lea and Kyle, trying to help them navigate through such a challenging time.
“I tried to put myself in the shoes of each couple,” Erynn remembers. “Everyone was devastated and each had different circumstances they were managing. I tried to bring forward a variety of creative solutions, but ultimately everyone needed time to mourn the wedding that might have been and be given time to digest what could be in this new uncertain time.”
“ultimately everyone needed time to mourn the wedding that might have been and be given time to digest what could be in this new uncertain time.”
- Erynn Lyster, The Commons -
photography: MCurran Photo, florals by Pine for Cedar
“Kyle and I were engaged for four years and had finally planned our wedding for June 6, 2020. When contacting vendors with the intent to cancel our wedding due to COVID-19, Erynn from The Commons was so comforting when listening to our concerns and approached us with the idea of an elopement package,” says Lea.
With renewed vigour, Lea and Kyle started to envision their day differently. The Commons supported the couple in revising their initial plans to fit a new paradigm of events during COVID-19.
“During the preparation for Lea and Kyle’s wedding, we were reminded that we are part of a strong small business community here in Calgary. As entrepreneurs, we all faced similar challenges during the pandemic,” says Erynn. As a fellow small business owner himself, Kyle, the founder of Zoom Painting, understood this all-too-well and was keen to support his local business
community. With this in mind, The Commons set out to involve as many local vendors as possible to make Lea and Kyle’s day a reality.
With a mixture of the original vendors and some new ones, they all worked together, dedicating their time and talent to making the day special for the couple, with many pitching in at no cost.
“Erynn reached out to her network and through these local connections we had table settings, cutlery and glassware donated from DADE Loft as well as additional florals provided [by Pine for Cedar],” continues Lea. “It was incredible to see the local businesses come together and support us. Our photographer Megan [of MCurran Photo], provided additional time at no extra cost and did a remarkable job capturing our many special moments throughout the day.”
“During the preparation for Lea and Kyle’s wedding, we were reminded that we are part of a strong small business community here in Calgary.”
- Erynn Lyster, The Commons -
photography: MCurran Photo
On June 6th, 2020, Lea and Kyle were married with an intimate group of 15 attendees, including the bride, groom, close family and friends.
COVID precautions were taken, and new policies were made to keep guests safe. This included measuring the distance between each cohort in all seated arrangements, both at the ceremony and reception, as well as sanitizing and deep cleaning before, during and after the event. With three staff members monitoring throughout the wedding to provide an added layer of support, The Commons team executed a memorable experience for all guests through innovative strategies.
Wilma Dodge from Weddings by Wilma, married the couple and a Zoom call was set up during the ceremony to broadcast the vows
to friends and family that were not in attendance. Co-owner of the Commons, Zach Lyster, recorded the wedding from an iPhone – carrying it around the room to show all the details of the ceremony and capturing the intimate moments. And with some added support from Calgary Show Services for AV and tech, these extra elements allowed other to join the celebrations.
“This was new for all of us! No one on our team had hosted a wedding in a pandemic before and everyone pitched in. I felt it actually made the day even more special as everyone felt so close and got to know each other to a degree they wouldn’t have in normal times,” Megan, Event Curator at The Commons, recalls.
photography: MCurran Photo
Some of the vendors involved in the elopement supplied their services without focusing on profit, like Vicki Manness from Pretty Sweet Co, who provided the wedding cake at cost. “I was so happy to be able to contribute during such a difficult and unforeseen time not only for small businesses but for everyone. It’s so great to see small businesses in this city band together to create joy during a dark time. Our community is truly something special.”
Other vendors got extremely creative, like caters Fork and Farm, who created individually boxed appetizers with dinner served under individual cloches.
Megan Curran from MCurran Photo says: “I was lucky to photograph Lea and Kyle’s beautiful day. Amidst all the chaos surrounding the pandemic, the local vendors came together so seamlessly and created the perfect setting for their intimate ‘I do’s’.”
“It’s so great to see small businesses in this city band together to create joy during a dark time. our community is truly something special.”
- Vicki Manness, Pretty Sweet Co. -
photography: MCurran Photo, cake from Pretty Sweet Co
Although COVID-19 asked everyone to pivot their plans, the process of planning and executing such a beautiful elopement was incredible. Even with government restrictions on capacity and adding extra safety precautions, the beautiful ceremony and reception were an exceptional alternative that was met with the support of the community, the incredible vendors and The Commons event team.
Erynn summarizes the day perfectly: “We had so much fun working with Lea and Kyle. We were sorry they couldn’t have the day they originally envisioned, but in the end they looked so happy amongst a close group of their family and friends. The summer of 2020 definitely had its ups and downs, but for us at The Commons, the highlight was to be able to work with couples such as Lea and Kyle to support them in having a memorable wedding during such an uncertain time.”
photography: MCurran Photo
photography: MCurran Photo