A new survey in the latest issue of Island Weddings Magazine reveals the extent to which the Covid-19 outbreak disrupted the 2020 Martha’s Vineyard wedding industry, and how couples who were planning a wedding during that time responded to the challenges.

According to respondents in the survey, 70 per cent of couples who planned to marry on the Island during the past year opted to delay their nuptials. Only two per cent said they had kept their original 2020 wedding date and did not alter their plans.

In addition to considering postponements, the survey reveals that would-be brides and bridegrooms faced a number of ancillary considerations, such as moving their celebrations outdoors or reducing their guest lists. Forty-two per cent of couples said they had to make changes to their venues or vendor teams. Forty-one per cent incurred fees as a result of those changes.

Disruptions to the Island’s typically robust wedding industry are likely to continue in the months to come, the survey found. Of those who postponed their 2020 wedding date, 54 per cent said they planned to marry on the island in May or June 2021. Whether those gatherings will be allowed to proceed as planned will depend upon the efficacy and administration of vaccines and the easing of state and local restrictions on public gatherings.

Regardless of what the next few months hold, Martha’s Vineyard will likely continue to be the site of many upcoming small wedding celebrations. Fifty-seven per cent of couples who postponed a large reception in 2020 said they still held an elopement-style gathering or micro-wedding on the Island that conformed to local rules and regulations. Many of those ceremonies took place on the couples’ original wedding dates and were held on private properties or at a family member’s home.

The non-scientific survey, which was completed by dozens of couples, is part of Island Weddings Magazine’s ongoing commitment to provide its readers with the latest wedding-related Covid-19 information and guidance. In addition to the survey, the issue contains a list of best practices and precautions that Island wedding professionals have implemented, from assigning people in the same household to pods, cocktail tables, and dinner tables, to live streaming festivities and staggering the arrival of vendors. The magazine also profiles three weddings that took place on the Island in the past year in accordance with safety guidelines.

“We know that these are unprecedented times for the wedding industry,” said Island Weddings editor Vanessa Czarnecki. “Our goal is to give readers the guidance they need to make informed decisions, whether that means postponing a larger reception or encouraging them to safely celebrate with just a small group of friends and family members.”

The Winter-Spring 2021 issue of Island Weddings is available on newsstands now and at vineyardgazettestore.com. The cost is $6 plus shipping. Island Weddings is published twice yearly by the Martha’s Vineyard Magazine, part of the Vineyard Gazette Media Group.