Arts
‘It’s our big day, so let’s get married’
Elegant setting in red from “ Weddings by Sabrina”. Pic courtesy Amarante Lifestyle Studio
June is wedding season but planning a wedding amidst the ongoing pandemic poses a significant challenge, for both professional planners and bridal couples attempting to do it themselves. The standard wedding checklists have had to be completely re-evaluated to prioritise health and social distancing, leaving a fair bit of trepidation in its wake.
This week, we speak to some of the wedding planners trying to make it work, and a couple (who wish to remain anonymous) taking the plunge in the ‘new normal’ of weddings.
“There is hardly a normalcy to return to – so it requires a lot of checking and finding out what the guidelines for events are,” says Erandi Narangoda of Esquared Events & Moments. From revising guests lists to adhere to the current maximum of 40% capacity to ensuring proper hygiene conditions, the sheer uncertainty of hosting a gathering at a time like this has already intimidated many people into putting off or outright cancelling their events right upto September.
But as Sabrina Sathgunasigamini of ‘Weddings by Sabrina’ says, “People don’t miss an opportunity to celebrate love, and I think we shouldn’t. We should try and adjust and adapt as we go.”
That is certainly the case for S and L, a couple who have decided not to let the new regulations deter their upcoming nuptials.
“We really feel relieved by the change in the plans of the wedding,” S and L say as they share with us why they decided to go ahead with their marriage despite the restrictions placed on weddings and large gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to limited auspicious timings in which the couple could register their marriage, the couple says they decided to have the ceremonial aspects of the registration and poruwa ceremony with limited guests and a separate reception later on in the week.
At the beginning of the pandemic, S was of the mindset that they would be postponing both the registration and the reception, given that 80% of his family was overseas and none of them would have been able to make it.
Then came the issue of finding new dates, factoring in the unpredictability of flights and having only two auspicious times given to the couple for marriage. As such, S and L decided to go ahead with their registration on the same day they had planned in June, as it was the most feasible option.
As for the question of celebrations after the crisis situation is relaxed in the country, the couple says it is highly unlikely as it would be yet another cost; they hope to have a small outing with their friends to share their marriage instead.
“In early April itself we called off/ postponed the reception. In my mind we called off the reception, but we are still finding a proper word to explain it to my mother!” laughs S, adding “both of us would be very happy with a very simple registration.”
Keeping in line with safety guidelines set by the Ministry of Health, a wedding hall can only accommodate 40% of its original seating capacity. Going with the couple’s chosen venue means there will only be 40 guests, comprising close family members and just a handful of friends.
“If we went by the previous plan, organizing the reception would be similar to disaster management. From one end you want things to be right but from the other end we need to think about the costs and also we need to have a relaxed function,” they share with us.
Even if masks have become an essential accessory that have to be worn during wedding ceremonies, it does not mean brides have to sacrifice safety over fashion. Instead they can have the best of both worlds. Bridal designer Purnima Abeyratne’s ‘Inspirations’ label has created bridal masks to match your bridal attire. Lace, gemstones and sequins are woven in for an elegant look instead of a surgical one!
When asked about how their friends reacted to the change of plans S tells us, “My friends who are married congratulate me as I won’t be going through the same agony they went through, while my unmarried friends are unhappy because they won’t be able to have a good drink!”
Apart from not having all their loved ones for the ceremony, S quips he would definitely miss the celebration aspect of the wedding, especially the band and the dancing part of the reception.
As a planner, Melisha Yapa of ‘End2End Events’ feels that it is simply a few more steps added to an already extensive list in pre-planning, and feels that they will eventually become just another part of the process.
“I think we need to be even more flexible than before when working with clients and vendors as it’s more of a matter of adapting to the new normal,” she adds.
The other priority in assisting couples postponing their weddings is working with all the vendors and service providers involved to book new dates, with the least amount or no penalty charges, as well as re-conceptualising their events to be in line with the guidelines issued by the Health Ministry.
This aspect was highlighted when talking to S and L about the challenges they had to overcome with calling off their reception. “There were difficulties in cancelling and calling off some of the things already planned, especially the venue, because of the wedding culture here. Most of the elements needed for the wedding had to be booked about six months ahead. We didn’t have to make any rushed decisions but we still made a few calls 4-5 months ahead.”
Initially their reception was to take place at a chosen wedding hall while the registration was to be held at home. However with the current situation they decided to use the venue they had chosen for the registration as a non-refundable deposit had also been made. This way, the hassle of sanitizing the venue beforehand and after the ceremony would be handled by the venue management.
Melisha tells us that this ‘new normal’ would involve a lot of compromise from the couple as well, such as needing to cut down on guests lists and wedding essentials like the selection of flowers (due to import restrictions on non-essentials). It also goes both ways, as it would involve “a fair amount of effort on our part to ensure that we, as the planner, can still make sure to deliver a day as beautiful and as magical as it was originally intended.”
“I would suggest to people who are on the fence, whether to get married or not – get married now. Have a small function and trust me you can limit the guests to 40 people. You just need 4-5 friends, your closest cousins, two aunts, and you are done,” prospective bridegroom S laughs.
For this young couple, they are looking forward to starting a new chapter in their life by saving the money that would have gone into an elaborate ceremony and contemplating a more peaceful future where the money could be used to perhaps fulfil their dreams of travel.
| Scaled down celebrations the futureWhat of the future? Wedding planners share that the only new inquiries they have received so far are for 2021 onwards, if at all. With any wedding checklist, Sabrina Sathgunasigamini recommends securing venue and vendors first, as many postponed events will be looking to reschedule as well. From there, health and safety protocols will have to be updated if and when these regulations change. Though the grim reality is that the COVID-19 pandemic is not going away any time soon, that does not mean that life and all its many celebrations have to halt completely. They can (and will) go on, just with extra precautions. Sacrificing a few aspects like cutting down the number of guests to ensure the safety of your loved ones is undoubtedly worth the effort, and an intimate ceremony will be just as full of life and love (if not more) than a grand wedding. | |