OUR WEDDING DAY COVID SAFETY POLICY

Thank you so much for your patience as we continue to respond and adapt to the pandemic. We have decided to proceed with hosting our wedding on March 12th, 2022.

The goal of this message is to tell you — someone we deeply care about and are inviting to our wedding — what to expect when you attend. This is our attempt to help make this transitional time easier, and we thank you for your generosity and kindness as we do our best to start our marriage while also prioritizing health, safety, and joy.

In oder to ensure a safe environment for all our guests—and mainly for the health and safety of immune-compromised family and friends—we have our Wedding Day COVID Safety Policy that we will be strictly implementing. We ask that you respect and honor our wishes by abiding by these protocols. Otherwise, please let us know that you won’t be able to celebrate with us in-person. This COVID Safety Policy was put in place to help you make the decision that is right for you and your family too.

Recent changes in the use of face masks in California which take effect on February 16th states that only unvaccinated persons are required to wear a mask in all Indoor Public Settings. Fully vaccinated individuals are recommended to continue indoor masking when the risk may be high.

In relation to our wedding, the following individuals are exempt from wearing masks:

  • Persons younger than two years old. Very young children must not wear a mask because of the risk of suffocation.

  • Persons with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a mask. This includes persons with a medical condition for whom wearing a mask could obstruct breathing or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove a mask without assistance.

  • Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.

We’re hoping and praying that the situation improves soon and that these protocols will no longer be necessary by the time our wedding day comes.

Meanwhile, here are a few helpful links for more information:

  • Vaccinations - Get vaccinated and get your kids 5 and older vaccinated. It’s our best tool to end the pandemic. Vaccination is safe, effective and free.

  • Masks - Wear a mask to keep from spreading the virus to those with no defense, like the immune-compromised and children under 5.

  • Testing - Get tested for COVID-19 if you may have been exposed. It’s free and confidential for everyone in California.

  • Isolation and Quarantine - Find out how long to stay home and avoid others if you test positive or are exposed to COVID-19.

  • Exposure Notifications - Turn on exposure notifications in your Apple or Android phone. CA Notify can then alert you if you’ve been near someone who tested positive.

  • Travel - Keep California healthy and our communities open by following CDC Travel Guidelines.

Here’s what you can expect at our wedding:

  • Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for all guests is required.

    Please let us know if you (and your companion, if you’re coming with one) have been vaccinated or will be at the time of our wedding. For guests who are unable to get vaccinated for any reason, we will need you to get tested within 24 to 48 hours before the wedding day (so get tested on March 10th if you are taking the PCR test, or March 11th if you are taking the antigen test) and to send us proof of a negative result. We know that vaccination isn’t bulletproof, but it serves as an extra layer of protection, and that it at least helps prevent people from getting so ill that they have to be hospitalized. This is why it’s very important to us. And even a negative COVID-19 test result isn’t bullet proof either, so we still strongly urge all our unvaccinated guests to wear their masks at all times during the wedding for their own protection, except when eating or drinking.

  • On-site COVID testing will be provided.

    For guests who, for any reason, are unable to send us proof of vaccination, or get tested 72 hours prior to the wedding day, we will require a negative test result from a rapid COVID testing which will be made available at the venue entrance. But even with a negative test result, we still strongly urge all our unvaccinated guests to wear their masks at all times during the wedding for their own protection, except when eating or drinking.

  • Masks will be provided at the venue.

    The entire wedding will be held outdoors. The current mask mandate in Riverside County states that masks are not required outdoors, regardless of vaccination status, but required for indoor public settings, if unvaccinated or even for the vaccinated if the risk is high. We still strongly urge all our unvaccinated guests to wear their masks at all times during the wedding for their own protection, except when eating or drinking. And while guests are encouraged to bring their own masks, we will still provide extras just in case. Wedding vendors working on-site, such as wait staff and bartenders, will be required to wear masks, as well.

  • Hand sanitizers will be readily available.

    Hand sanitizer stations will be set up at various points throughout the venue.

  • We're keeping our guest list small.

    We’ve decided to keep our guest list small. There will only be 62 people attending the wedding, including Bernie and myself. Other than our guests, we’re expecting 4 people from the photography crew, and 4 musicians. The rest will be people from the catering staff and Lake Oak Meadows staff.

We understand that the situation above may make your attendance to our wedding in-person impossible. This deeply saddens us because we love you and will miss you, but as much as we want to start our marriage with you present, we want you to stay safe more. We hope that by starting this conversation early, we can discuss what works best for all of us.

If the above is something you are available to do, please R.S.V.P. "Yes” no later than February 5th, 2022, and indicate which screening option you’d be willing to do.

  • If the above is NOT something you are available to do, please R.S.V.P. "No" no later than September 30th, 2021. We completely understand. 

  • If the above is something you're not sure you are available to do, please contact Bernie at (951) 775-4563 or My at (562) 294-8158 to further discuss.

We do not wish to exclude anyone, but it’s of the utmost importance to us that all attendees are as safe as possible for this celebration. If you’re not fully vaccinated or will not be by the date of the event, and you don’t think you’d be willing to do any of the other options we’re offering either, we request that you R.S.V.P. with regrets. Again, we completely understand and will hold no judgment against you.

We will keep checking with Riverside County and will update this page accordingly for any changes to these protocols.

Thank you again so much for your love and support. This has been — and remains — an extremely difficult time and we so value all of the empathy and grace you have given us as we do our best to start our marriage in a way that doesn't endanger the lives of those we love best in the world. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you.

Bernie and My