Extra Wedding Attire

The focus of a wedding, and wedding planning, should be the expression of your love and commitment. This is such a happy thing, and I always feel so wonderfully privileged to be a part of the celebration. All of the weddings I have done at Pilgrim Chapel and elsewhere since 2020 March 20 after the Mayor's mask order have been wonderfully joyous occasions, despite the extra attire. 

Should any of your invited  family members and guests indicate ahead of time that they do not want to wear masks, please feel free to share this with them.

I imagine most folks by now know that masks do less to protect the wearer than they do by limiting the transmission of the virus to others. 

You, as bride and groom, are not required to wear masks during the ceremony, but if your attendants are uncomfortable with being close to you during the ceremony, you might consider wearing a mask along with everyone else.

The folks at Pilgrim Chapel and I are masked because we would not want to transmit the virus to you or your guests, even though, every hour of every day, we take every precaution not to contract or carry the disease. Since it now appears to be confirmed that the virus can be transmitted by aerosol up to 16 feet away in closed spaces, it is difficult to be certain that one is not a spreader, especially if one has no symptoms. Of course the situation becomes quite concerning with children in some school settings.

Ventilation is why I ask the Chapel staff to turn on the ceiling fans.

Guests at a wedding want to show that they cherish the couple, the families, and friends gathered for the occasion, and respect the Pilgrim Chapel staff and the officiant, by wearing masks properly.

Although surface contagion is rare, right before and after the ceremony, I sanitize my hands so anything object I touch that you will touch will be as safe as possible. I also gargle before the ceremony and ask everyone do the same (see below).

Because of my age and my son's compromised condition, I am cautious about the circumstances in which I place myself. For a brief ceremony, I am comfortable standing atop the chancel area with the couple without masks at the bottom of the chancel area on the floor, or, if necessary, at the edge of the top platform (in which case I will be double-masked). If you might want a photo of me without a mask, photographers have found that I can stand outside on the steps of the Chapel with the couple without masks some distance ahead of me. A photo at the Chapel door makes a lovely picture.

Masks must be worn to cover the nose and the mouth. Here is a link to good advice about masks. Children under 2 should not wear masks.
     About 40 percent of infections are transmitted by people who have no symptoms and do not know they are infected. Gargles like Listerine for even 30 seconds (a minute is better) appear to greatly reduce the chance of transmitting the contagion and should be practiced by everyone before attending a public event, even though it does not afford much protection, if any, to the person who gargles. 
     Since we cannot be certain we are not infected (unless we have been quarantined for 14 days), we should gargle and wear a mask to express our regard and affection for those around us. 
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My reasoning is based on what I understand are the factors in air transmission as they apply to us:
- viral load
- distance
- exposure time
- ventilation
- interventions (like masks and gargles)
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Chlorhexidine gluconate is available by prescription and may have side-effects.

NYTimes on masks

WaPo on masks