Covid has turned our lives upside down. Let me talk specifically about how it has effected couples looking to get married. 

Many couples have had to postpone, reschedule and put on hold their wedding plans. And some couples have done this more than once now. 

If you are feeling sad, confused, frustrated and downright depressed and upset...you are not alone and your feelings are allowed and valid.

          I repeat...Your feelings are allowed and valid  

Planning your wedding takes a whole lot of time, effort and money and having to set those plans on hold, only to replan and then maybe even replan again is nothing anyone of us could plan for, neither couples planning a wedding and those of us in the wedding industry. 

To the couples who have weddings planned for 2021 and are wondering and thinking, I really hope we can still have our wedding, I've got one bit of advice for you. Hire a wedding planner now. Get someone on your side now who is experienced in handling all things wedding and can relieve some stress for you. They can assist you in current covid gathering guidelines and help you with any replanning or postponing or pairing down of your wedding necessary. 

I understand a wedding planner may not be in your budget, if this is the case let's sort out a few things. 

• Watch the covid gathering guidelines. Here's the link for the latest orders:                                      COVID GATHERING ORDERS 
• Reach out to your venue often to confirm what they are and are not allowing 
• Ask yourselves the tough question to help you make a plan: If restrictions are what they are today...Which is most important to you (there is no wrong answer, only your answer) 
  • Is getting married ON your wedding date the most important, or, is having your complete guest list present most important? If getting married on your date is most important then you have decided pairing down your wedding to a intimate event is okay, if having all your people present is best for you then be okay with postponing your wedding day.

Having been married 20 years ago myself, if I try to put myself in the shoes of today's couples I think I would want to get married now and party later. I would plan an intimate ceremony now with my parents and siblings and zoom it. Then, I would plan for a big reception only event for next year or later. But that's me, and what is important is that you do what is right for YOU! Again, there is no right or wrong answer's only your answer. 

Please reach out to me if I can be of any help to you, even if it's just for you to vent your frustrations, I'll listen. 

xo, 

Nichole 

In Michigan it was -9 degrees when I took my son to school this morning. It's now a balmy 14 degrees and guess what...I'm still doing signings and elopements outdoors!

Why you might ask? 

1. Covid - ugh, still! 
2. Cost effective - like zero dollars to stand in a park 
3. Time efficient - with restaurants requiring reservations and backup's in waiting for a table, meeting outdoors for 10 minutes or less takes less time. 

Now, none of this is to say I won't go indoors, I've done plenty of elopements indoors at local venues and beyond. But I want you to know, I'm happy to stand outdoors with you still, in the cold and do you signing or elopement, bundle up! 

What are you looking forward to in 2021? I find myself stuck in trepidation and halted joy. My realist optimistic personality is at war with my heart. I want to do so many things in 2021, travel, gather, perform weddings in front of hundreds of loved ones, but alas I just don't know if any of those will happen. I'm holding out hope that at least this summer will be filled with back yard outdoor hangs with family and friends and that weddings will still go on! 

2020 was a unique year for weddings, to say the least. While Covid had us all turned upside down and making changes on the fly, each couple found a way forward that fit them, yes there were tears involved in many cases, I mean it just plane sucks to reschedule the day you had been planning for so long. 

Ceremonies were postponed and maybe postponed again and gosh darn it postponed one more time! And I swear to you if 2021 doesn't allow us all the big beautiful weddings I'm gonna loose it...well, not actually, I mean we'll figure it out again but I'm just as frustrated as you are. 

Some couples chose to elope today and party sometime in the future. 

A lot of couples chose to do a signing, just do the thing and get married! 

Let's look at the numbers. In a typical year I perform an average of 100 wedding's. This year, 2020 I did: 

9 full Ceremonies - we know these were all March and before! 
60 Elopements
115 Signings 

For a grand total of 184 weddings done in 2020! 

I could not be more happy then when standing with a couple and uniting them in marriage, it's exciting, I get butterflies every single time! Yes even the simple signing of the marriage license is exciting to me. I see the smiles, and giggles, the joy that radiates and I am honored to stand with each couple. 

Cheers 2020, don't mind if I just push on forward to better days. 

xo, 

​Nichole 

That's right, your wedding Officiant is legally responsible to return your marriage license back to the county clerks office for you. During Covid your wedding officiant can only return them by mail and it's taking awhile, so patience is needed. Once the clerk receives and files the marriage license then you can request your certified copy of your marriage license. You will need the certified, legal copy to change your name or for any other legal purposes. 

Nichole Bertucci, A Simple I Do, LLC - 
​NAMED TO THE KNOT BEST OF WEDDINGS HALL OF FAME 2021 
9th Annual Hall of Fame Awards Honor the Top Wedding Vendors Across America

January 2, 2021 Nichole Bertucci, owner of A Simple I Do, LLC is pleased to announce that she has been inducted into The Knot Best of Weddings Hall of Fame from The Knot, a leading wedding planning and registry brand and app. Exceptional wedding professionals who have earned four or more of The Knot Best of Weddings awards are inducted into the prestigious The Knot Best of Weddings Hall of Fame.

Despite COVID-19 interrupting many 2020 weddings and social events, wedding professionals around the nation continued to support to-be-weds throughout their wedding planning journeys. From adjusting future schedules to make way for postponed weddings, to helping couples host socially distanced weddings following state and local guidelines and restrictions with an increased focus on health and safety, wedding pros—and the industry as a whole—rallied together in 2020, ultimately helping couples continue to celebrate life and love. The Knot 2021 Best of Weddings recognition honors the vendors who went above and beyond to help to-be-weds navigate the global pandemic. 

In its fifteenth annual year, The Knot continues its long-standing tradition of supporting local wedding vendors with The Knot Best of Weddings 2021, an annual by-couples, for-couples guide to the top wedding professionals across the country. To determine the winners, The Knot analyzed its millions of user reviews across various vendor categories—including venues, musicians, florists, photographers, caterers and more—to find the highest rated vendors of the year. These winners represent the best of the best wedding professionals that engaged couples should consider booking for their own unique weddings. 

This year, The Knot Best of Weddings winners represent the top five percent of local wedding vendors listed on The Knot. There were 1,422 new inductees into The Knot Best of Weddings Hall of Fame for 2021, out of hundreds of thousands of local vendors featured on The Knot.

“I am so proud to be part of this elite group of wedding professionals. Working hard each year to assure every couple has a stress free and loving wedding ceremony is what makes my heart so happy.” Nichole Bertucci, A Simple I Do, LLC

The Knot has inspired 25 million couples (and counting!) to plan a wedding that’s uniquely theirs. With a rich history of providing high-quality content and inspiration, The Knot makes it easy for couples to connect with and book just the right wedding professionals to create their perfect wedding day. On The Knot Marketplace, couples can connect with any of the hundreds of thousands of local wedding professionals across the country. The Knot Best of Weddings gives couples the confidence to find and book the best local vendors to bring their wedding visions to life. In combination with years of trusted content, The Knot’s innovative technology simplifies wedding planning, inspiring couples to plan a wedding unique to their love story and personalities. 

Wedding professionals who win The Knot Best of Weddings are members of WeddingPro, the leading B2B wedding brand. As the largest marketplace and community for wedding professionals, WeddingPro connects businesses with more than 13 million unique monthly visitors who are planning weddings on The Knot and WeddingWire, as well as with hundreds of thousands of pros in the industry. Through its online marketplaces, educational programs and community-building events, WeddingPro is dedicated to helping wedding professionals build relationships with couples and pros that grow their businesses.
For more information about The Knot Best of Weddings and this year’s winners, please visit https://www.theknot.com/vendors/best-of-weddings.

About Nichole Bertucci, A Simple I Do, LLC 
Nichole is a wedding Officiant in southeast Michigan who serves all couples. Nichole writes and delivers a heart warming, personal and loving wedding ceremony that is catered to each couples wedding day wants and needs. Providing seamless wedding Officiating service from day one and professional and personal delivery is what Nichole does best. 

About The Knot
The Knot is one of the nation’s leading multi-platform wedding resources offering a seamless, all-in-one planning experience—from finding inspiration and local vendors to creating and managing all guest experiences, wedding registries and more. The trusted brand reaches a majority of engaged couples in the US through the #1 iOS and Android mobile app The Knot Wedding Planner, the #1 wedding planning website TheKnot.com, The Knot national and local wedding magazines, and The Knot book series. Since its inception, The Knot has inspired approximately 25 million couples to plan a wedding that’s uniquely them. Visit The Knot online at Facebook.com/TheKnot and @TheKnot on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. 

On Saturday, January 16, 2021 I will be offering elopements and signings at or near Grand Circus Park in Downtown Detroit. Let the magic of the city be the background to your elopement and love. Grab your tribe and meet me in Detroit for your elopement ceremony or signing of the marriage license. 

Let me introduce Shelby and her company Monnette Co Photography to you. She is such a warm and wonderful person. Her creativity and love for all things wedding truly comes through in her photography. 

I bumped into her awhile ago at a wedding we were doing together, a quick follow of her social media accounts led me to love her work even more. So when I was standing in the Holly Hotel last weekend and saw who I thought was her outside my heart was so happy! Darn masks had me second guessing myself lol. 

Let me share with you her pictures of the sweet little elopement at Holly Hotel.