Simply Eloped Policies During the Age of Coronavirus

We are currently able to perform ceremonies in most Simply Eloped destinations. See the bottom of this post for more details on these destinations, as well as the status of others.

As encouraged by the CDC website, Simply Eloped will be enacting certain protocols to ensure the safety of our customers, their guests and our vendors. Some of these policies are recommended and others are required for Simply Eloped to perform your ceremony fore the foreseeable future.

Simply Eloped will be:

• Limiting our group gatherings to local county or state recommendations. This number does vary by destination.
• Encouraging our vendors to wear masks
• Encourage 6-foot distance between vendors, the couple and guests
• Decline attending should you have a fever or cough
• Encouraging couples to livestream or record the ceremony in lieu of inviting a large group of guests
• Honoring park and venue closures
• Replacing your vendors should they feel any symptoms of sickness

As you can imagine, hair and makeup services have also been impacted by COVID-19. We have some standards and regulations in place based on state recommendations. See below:

• Hair and makeup artists will be required to wear masks
• Social distancing of 6 feet will be implemented when services are not being given
• We will required everyone to either wash or sanitize their hands upon arrival of service, after using the restroom, sneezing, or coughing
• No more than 3 people total in the room while services are being given
• Client must wear face mask when services are not being rendered
• All tools and equipment will be sanitized and/or disinfected between each client/service

We will reassess our policies as markets, parks and venues begin to open back up. If you ever have questions, we highly suggest you check the CDC website for their most recent guidelines on safety protocols for group gatherings. Below, you can find some specific questions that may arise if you are currently a Simply Eloped customer and some information on restrictions lifting in the markets we provide services.

 

Questions and Answers amidst the COVID-19 coronavirus and your wedding day

Is Simply Eloped booking or performing ceremonies right now?

We are following state & county guidelines, as well as following CDC recommendations for small group gatherings.

We have our wedding day planned with Simply Eloped, but we are now afraid to travel. What should I do? 

You have a few options if you’ve decided that traveling is out of the question for your big day. You can postpone your ceremony for a later date at no additional cost, or you can choose to swap markets to a location that’s closer to home or within driving distance. We have your back, and we will help you through this process!

We put a pause to our wedding planning with Simply Eloped because of the coronavirus, but have since decided to resume planning. How should I go about this?

If you’ve decided to continue your wedding day plans and you’ve postponed your ceremony with Simply Eloped, simply contact your Customer Experience Manager and let them know of your decision. They will work to contact your team and check in on availability. Should your team be unable to perform a wedding, we will have other team members lined up in their place. We got you!

What do we tell our guests if we end up having to cancel or postpone due to the coronavirus?

Because the coronavirus has become prevalent on an international level, you might find that guests are relieved of your choice. Because the general public is advised to steer clear of large gatherings, postponing your wedding until there is less public risk is completely understandable.

Does Simply Eloped perform ceremonies in a non-public location, such as an Airbnb or private residence?

While it can vary market-by-market, Simply Eloped has always been more than happy to perform ceremonies at private residences if that’s what our couple wants! Get in touch with us, and we can chat about specifics of making it happen.

We had a traditional wedding planned out of the country within the next few weeks, but because of the outbreak, family and friends were banned from traveling and we had to cancel. Can you help us on such short notice?

In one word: Absolutely. We know that this is a difficult time for anyone planning a wedding, near or far, and we will make sure we do everything we can to give you the wedding of your dreams — even on short notice! We want your wedding day to be perfect and safe, so contact us with what it is you were thinking, and we’ll do what we can on our end to make it happen!

Steps We’re Taking For Simply Eloped Couples

Any couple who has booked Simply Eloped’s services can postpone their ceremony for a later time at no additional cost. Similarly, we’re offering free market swaps, so if there is a location that is in driving distance or does not require flying, you can switch to that market at no additional cost.

We have contacted all of our vendors, requesting that they let us know immediately if they have developed any symptoms, in which case, we will line up replacements to perform ceremonies. We are also requesting that our vendors do not shake hands or hug our couples or any of their guests.

The health and safety of our couples, vendors, and employees are a top priority, and we will be doing everything we can to help stop the spread of the virus.

Here’s a state-by-state breakdown of market status of places Simply Eloped performs ceremonies (updated 12/30/2020):

CALIFORNIA (Big Sur, Lake Tahoe, San Diego, San Francisco & Wine Country)

OPEN: California is currently discouraging gatherings state-wide with exceptions for weddings. Weddings are allowed, ceremonies only, only if they are outdoors. See more here! All of California has mandated masks in public & shared areas.
VIRTUAL CEREMONY: Currently offering virtual legal ceremony for California residents

COLORADO

OPEN: Colorado is currently enforcing COVID-19 regulations county-by-county. See more here! Colorado uses a dial system to determine regulations – weddings are under the category of outdoor unseated events. All of the counties we currently service are in Level Red, which allows 25% capacity or 75 to gather, whichever is fewer. We are currently allowing 10.

FLORIDA

OPEN: All of our Florida locations allow gatherings of 50 or less (we are allowing 20).

GEORGIA

OPEN: All of our Georgia locations allow gatherings of 50 or less (we are allowing 20).

HAWAII

OPEN: All individuals, both residents and visitors, arriving from out-of-state to Hawaii are subject to a mandatory 10-day self-quarantine. Individuals traveling from out-of-state are required to get a valid COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to their trip, and show proof of a negative result, to avoid 10-Day quarantine. More information here! Before boarding a flight to Hawaii, travelers MUST show proof of a negative COVID-19 test.
Big Island and Maui allow 10 or less to gather, Oahu allows 5.

IDAHO (Boise, Sun Valley, Stanley)

OPEN: All of our Idaho locations are currently allowing gatherings of 50 or less (we are allowing 20).

ILLINOIS (Chicago)

OPEN: Gatherings of up to 10 people are allowed in Chicago. Travel restrictions apply to 48 of the 50 states – see more here. Anyone traveling from a state on the Orange list is directed to obtain a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 72 hours prior to arrival in Chicago or quarantine for a 10-day period (or the duration of their time in Chicago, whichever is shorter). Anyone traveling from a state on the Red list must quarantine for a 10-day period or the duration of their time in Chicago, whichever is shorter. 
VIRTUAL CEREMONY: Currently offering legal virtual ceremonies for Illinois Residents

LOUISIANA (New Orleans)

OPEN: Gatherings of up to 100 people are allowed (we are allowing 20).

NEVADA (Las Vegas)

OPEN: Gatherings of 50 or less are allowed (we are allowing 20).

NEW YORK

SEMI-OPEN: Open to groups gathering of 20 or less. Masks & social distancing encouraged. Travelers from certain states must quarantine for 14 days upon their arrival to NYC UNLESS they provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test! Read more here.
VIRTUAL CEREMONY: Currently offering virtual legal ceremonies for couples physically in New York state (also an option for New Jersey).

NORTH CAROLINA (Asheville) 

OPEN: open to groups gathering 25 or less; 6′ social distancing highly encouraged

SEATTLE

OPEN: Gatherings of 5 or less are allowed.

TENNESSEE (Gatlinburg & Nashville)

OPEN: Gatherings of 50 or less are allowed.

TEXAS (Houston & Dallas)

OPEN: open to groups gathering 10 or less; 6′ social distancing highly encouraged; masks not required but encouraged.

WASHINGTON D.C.

OPEN: Gatherings of 25 or less are allowed outdoors, 10 or less indoors. The District Government issued updated travel requirements, effective Monday, Nov. 9, 2020, for anyone traveling into Washington, DC from a jurisdiction with more than 10 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people.

• Get a test within 72 hours of traveling, and if the test is positive, don’t travel.
• If you are a close contact of a confirmed positive case, don’t travel.
• If you are a visitor to DC for more than three days, get tested within 3-5 days of arrival.
• Adhere to the mandatory mask policy, exceptions include vigorous exercise or while actively eating or drinking

Airbnb & Private Residences

We are happy to provide our services in a private residence or Airbnb in a destination! Travel fees may apply.

If you have any questions regarding the status of a marriage license bureaus in any of our markets, please refer to this post.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email your Customer Experience Manager! Not sure who that is? See below:

• Colorado, Sedona, Las Vegas, Boise, Sun Valley, Stanley – Coby | coby@simplyeloped.com
• San Diego, San Francisco, Big Sur, Lake Tahoe, Hawaii, Portland, Seattle – Keely | keely@simplyeloped.com
• New York City, Cincinnati, Chicago, Washington D.C., Nashville, Gatlinburg, Asheville – Kimberli | kimberli@simplyeloped.com
• New Orleans, Savannah, Atlanta, Orlando, Miami, St. Augustine, Key West, Houston, Dallas, Austin | Karin – karin@simplyeloped.com