A Pandemic Wedding
I was fortunate to play for a wedding a few weeks ago for the first time since the Stay at Home order. The process was certainly different, but I was so happy for the product we were able to produce given the circumstances!
One of the women in my quartet has a compromised immune system, so our safety was one of my highest concerns. In order to stay safe, we did things a little differently, including rehearsing in her yard! It was a HOT July afternoon, but it ended up being really fun! We were able to sit spaced out so we wouldn’t need to wear masks. We didn’t have as much time to rehearse as we normally do, but the group really pulled together and we made it work just as well as we would have pre-covid.
The bride was SO sweet and amazing to work with right from the get-go, but I was still a little nervous for the wedding. I didn’t know how it was going to go. Would people be crowding us without masks on? Is the bride going to be okay with us wearing masks since we need to be sitting so close together? The wedding was outside, so what if it were to rain? Are my quartet members going to be comfortable? A lot of things right now are uncertain, and for someone who likes to know exactly what I’m getting into, that was a challenge for me as I prepared for the wedding. However, I was thrilled to find that I didn’t really have much to worry about! The venue was beautifully set up. We were originally staged on the lawn, but we moved to a covered area when it looked like rain. Luckily, for the ceremony and the whole cocktail hour, all that we had was a few raindrops. The guest list had been reduced to about 50 people, but the bride and groom looked so happy to be there and to have made everything work despite all the hurdles thrown in their way.
I think the most surprising thing for me was how happy it made me to play with others again. As an introvert I don’t really notice that I’m missing those social interactions until I have them again. It was 90 degrees and we were all wearing dress blacks with masks, but it was SO worth it, and I was so happy that we didn’t have to sacrifice our safety to do it! It was so fun to play with everyone again, and I can’t wait until my next gig!!!