10 Planning Tips for Throwing a Celebratory Quarantine Wedding Parade

If you know a couple who has recently had to make the decision to postpone their upcoming wedding, I’m sure you’ve been wondering what you can do to cheer them up!  In a matter of weeks, they have had to make difficult decisions that have definitely been an emotional roller coaster. And although we’ve seen couples making the most of their situations by postponing and rescheduling their wedding, we also want to continue to cheer on the couples and encourage them that better days are ahead! What better way to show them you are thinking of them, than to throw a celebratory parade! As wedding planners, we’ve put together these 10 helpful planning tips for planning a celebratory quarantine wedding parade. The best part, you can plan it all from home and still follow social distancing protocols. 

1) First thing first! Confirm the date of the parade. Ideally, it’s the same day they would have been married since the date is still special and should be celebrated!

2) Confirm with the immediate family that they would be willing to participate. You’ll need their help down the road, so it’s best to have everyone on board and some extra help! 

3) Get organized. Start an excel document where you can keep track of all the details. A must when planning any event. 

4) Reach out to a few of the couples vendors to see if they would be willing to participate!   It’s a great way to continue supporting small business owners, while surprising the couple. We would suggest reaching out to the following:

Florist – ask them if they would be willing to create a centerpiece for the couple to have on display during the parade. 
Baker – every celebration deserves something sweet! See if the couples cake vendor would be able to create a small wedding cake for the couple to enjoy! If they didn’t have one confirmed, you can easily contact another local baker! 
Photographer – You’ll want to be sure that you’ll be able to capture the looks on the couples faces as their loved ones drive by cheering them on and lifting their spirits.  They can also display these photos during their wedding reception. 

5) Work with the couple’s family to gather email addresses of those who are in close proximity and are most likely to participate. You’ll want to email everyone an electronic invite, and we love using Paperless Post or Evite.  We suggest sending electronic invites because it’s easy to track RSVPs, you can group message guests with updates, and it’s the quickest way to send invitations. Make sure the details on the invite provide guests with as many details as possible. You can also include a FAQ section, to prematurely answer some common questions you anticipate receiving. 

6) Size doesn’t matter! But just keep in mind, a smaller pool of cars will be easier to coordinate! Remember it’s the thought that counts! 

7) Encourage the guests to get creative by asking them to decorate their cars prior to arriving for the parade! There are lots of ideas on Pinterest, we found a few here! Window paint, congratulatory signs, or the old fashion tin cans hanging from the rear of the car are great ideas, and ideally things you may have at home already!  During the parade, encourage them to blow bubbles from the windows, play wedding processional music, and give well wishes all while being safe and remaining inside their cars! 

8) Establish a common place where everyone will first meet (remaining in their cars!) and then explain how you will caravan past the couples home. Depending on the size of the expectant number of cars, this could be at a local school parking lot or just around the corner of the couples home.  Provide the make and model of the first car who will start the caravan in the details of the evite. You’ll want to designate another car to be last in line. They should be directing cars until it’s time for them to leave. Remember to practice social distancing if you are the person in charge of coordinating the cars.

9) Inform the couple there is a surprise happening, but leave all the other details a surprise. Just tell them they may want to swap out their sweat pants or their normal quarantine attire. When it comes time to set-up the decor on their front lawn, ask them to go to an area of the house that they can’t see.

10) It’s all in the details! Have a table that is nicely decorated with the floral arrangement, the cake displayed on a cake stand, and make a sign that says “Almost Married” that’s big enough for all the guests to see from their cars! Every celebration needs music, so don’t forget to have their favorite tunes playing in the background! Encourage the couple to use some of the same items they were planning on using at the reception (for example their champagne flutes or cake cutting set).

We encourage everyone to still practice social distancing, while still making every day celebrations memorable!

Stay safe and healthy everyone!
xoxo,
Jodie

Author: Jodie Lupo Munson

Hi there! I’m Jodie. Particular Planner is a wedding & event planning company based in NJ, founded on the idea that event planning services should be accessible to all. Having a planner isn’t a luxury service, but a necessity. Let’s get started!