There are so many reasons why people get married. Love, family, security… Your reasons are your own and equally valid. If you’re debating if you should move forward during these uncertain times or hold off, I ask…

Why wait, if you don’t have to?

You may not be able to have that big wedding now, but you can still celebrate your love, continue moving forward with your lives, and enjoy all the benefits of married status sooner rather than later. And you can do it all in an intimate micro-wedding, with a beautiful ceremony that’s absolutely perfect for you.

Having a micro-wedding is a quick – but still special – way to secure all the rights, privileges and protections for you and yours – legally and financially. Going ahead and making it official provides a little extra certainty and peace of mind in a very uncertain world. Need some help sorting through the options for a micro-wedding? Contact us any time and we’ll happily help you plan the perfect day, despite all the stress of today’s world.

Why get married now?

The COVID-19 global pandemic has reminded us that we never know what could happen. We shouldn’t take ANY day for granted. There are also lots of ways that being married is to your advantage, especially under present circumstances. Benefits that many of us have been very grateful for, and might be smart to secure for you and your partner now.

While this might seem unromantic, few things are less romantic than putting your life on hold, being forcibly separated, or being sick without health insurance (or worse, seeing your best friend and soulmate fall ill and being helpless to provide for them).

Being legally married gives you certain rights and privileges that can prove crucial during tough times.

1. Marriage Protects Your Rights as a Couple

As state borders closed, airlines stopped service, and quarantine restrictions were put in place, too many people are being kept apart from their loved ones. Thousands of couples have found themselves separated from their partners, families, and co-parents for extended periods, with no end in sight. Those impacted are now part of an international movement called “Love is Not Tourism.”

While legal spouses and blood relatives have been relatively easy to re-unify, long-term committed partners were almost never considered in the regulations. It’s been particularly sad to hear the stories about young women going through pregnancy alone with their partners unable to get to them. Babies are being born without their fathers, who are only able to participate in the birth via Skype.

My heart aches for these couples. May it never be you…

In some places, unmarried partners also have limited rights to emergency custody, co-quarantine and even hospital visitation or decision making, as they have limited legal standing.

Getting married protects your rights as a couple

2. Marriage Provides Security

God forbid your fiancé has lost his or her job and with it, their workplace benefits package. This has happened to millions of Americans in 2020, and right now is definitely NOT the time to be without healthcare.

This may seem obvious but, by getting married, your newly-formed family can share your employer-sponsored benefit plan, which usually provides significantly more affordable coverage. As a “qualifying life event”, marriage gives you the opportunity to revisit your plan, add coverage, and designate your beneficiaries. It also helps ensure that if anything happens to you, those beneficiaries are more likely to be taken care of with fewer legal questions.

Being married also means valuable tax incentives for most couples. The tax schedules and deductions are often highly beneficial for couples filing jointly and can mean significantly decreased tax liability.

Check with your tax professional about your personal situation but, for us, it has made a huge difference in how much we pay every year. Especially if you were already planning to get married, making it official before the end of the calendar year could improve your financial situation.

Generally speaking, legally married couples also have different rights regarding community property, inheritance, and guardianship.

I personally sleep better at night knowing that if something happens to one of us, our family will still be secure in our home with fewer legal concerns to manage. A qualified attorney could draw up documents to replicate these protections (ie a palimony agreement), but again, real lawyers cost real money.

3. Micro-Weddings Can Be Beautiful!

Skip the neon Vegas chapel or City Hall wedding. You can do better.

Micro-weddings allow you to achieve valuable legal standing AND celebrate your commitment in a way that you can feel good about. There may be a certain “devil may care” fun in going through a Las Vegas drive-through chapel to get hitched, but will you actually feel good about that later? If so, wonderful! Go for it and send Elvis my love! If not, please don’t do something you’ll regret later.

Locally in the Bay Area, San Francisco City Hall has that beautiful pink staircase. However, the process of standing in line waiting for your number and all the gawking strangers can potentially cheapen the experience. There’s also virtually no ability to customize your ceremony. It’s the luck-of-the-draw which justice you get and which location they assign you.

If that’s something that might dampen your special day, a thoughtfully planned micro wedding may be a better choice. We can make your customized micro wedding ceremony intimate and meaningful, practical and affordable.

Plus, no one will blame you if you throw the big party post-COVID and wear that dress again! (You can read about my own micro-wedding – I sure wore my dress again!)

Plan a Special Micro-Wedding & Get Married Now

Couples are facing a lot of difficult decisions right now. Decisions about living situations, finances, and employment… just to name a few.

For those who are engaged, you unfortunately have to decide whether to postpone marriage because you can’t have the ceremony you expected, or to recalibrate your plans. It breaks my heart to know how many people have had their wedding dreams dashed this year due to COVID-19. While large gatherings of ALL kinds are cancelled, it’s an especially hard pill to swallow when it was supposed to be YOUR big day.

So yes… my heart goes out to you, all the disappointed brides and grooms in limbo.

Not willing to stay “stuck” indefinitely, a record number have decided to move forward with a lovely, intimate micro-wedding. It just may be the right decision for you, too.

For a little inspiration, check out some of our sample micro-wedding packages.

To talk through options or get started planning your ideal micro-wedding, contact us. We’re here to help. 💪

With Love,
Heather
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎

PS – Friendly disclaimer… I’m not an attorney or a tax professional, nor do I claim to be one. I’m just speaking from personal experience, practical observation, and an overwhelming desire to see people as happy, safe, and taken care of as they can be. 😘