As couples globally are facing the COVID-19 pandemic, weddings along with other social gatherings have faced a number of restrictions. For couples who have planned weddings in the upcoming months or recently engaged couples, this raises several questions.
We had a chat with a real-life bride whose wedding was scheduled in July initially but instead will be holding her Nikkah (muslim ceremony) and court wedding in August but hoping to hold her main reception next year.
See below for how the conversation went.
Q1: How did you communicate with disinvited guests due to the pandemic restrictions?
A1: Well, I sent most of my guests’ personal messages via WhatsApp explaining the situation of the pandemic and how it led to postponing the wedding until further notice.
Q2: How did you communicate with people who got save the dates?
A2: I’d earlier sent a ‘save the date’ card using WhatsApp broadcast messaging so, I used the same card design to inform other guests of the postponement.
Q3: Speaking about vendors you’ve paid deposits: did you choose to ask for refunds and if so, how did you manage it?
A3: No, I decided against asking for refunds because I knew the wedding would still hold. It’s difficult to know what would happen once the pandemic is over. Their prices are likely to go higher or they may become unavailable.
Q4: Virtual weddings are the rave of the moment, have you thought about having one?
A4: Personally, a virtual wedding wouldn’t work for me. I won’t be able to share the love via the Internet. Let’s not discuss network issues. I’d rather have an intimate wedding with very close friends and family (physically) but unfortunately the restrictions won’t allow that either.
Q5: What were the key questions you asked your vendors?
A5: Well, the most important one for me was re-confirming the contracts. That is, ensuring that the prices for the agreed services, wouldn’t change even though the wedding date is unknown at the moment.
Join the conversation. Where your wedding plans affected by the pandemic and if so, what has that meant for your plans?