Pandemic wali Shaadi: Venue Confusions!?
The pandemic has shrunk the big, fat Indian wedding and financial advisers say the newlyweds should be glad.
Indian weddings are elaborate, with multiple ceremonies and large gatherings of up to 1,000. But amid the Covid-19 outbreak, the Home Ministry’s guidelines don’t allow more than 50 guests. With the number of infections mounting every day, the restrictions aren’t expected to be eased soon. Here’s our guide to a pandemic wali Shaadi!
Also, read Wedding Jewelry: A Guide For Indian Brides
Venue Confusion?
The rules are unclear. There is no clarity on where weddings can take place. Whether hotels are allowed or should they be held indoors or outdoor. The best bet is to have it at home. A simple, Sarptan wedding. The couple, their parents, a few relatives if they live close by and same for friends. At such weddings, all guests can be tested and asked to wear a mask for safety measures. Of course, Social distancing cannot be maintained for certainly. The food can be served carefully to prevent any congestion.
Yes, not all can manage a wedding affair at home. We and you understand. This definitely doesn’t mean that you need to cancel? All the markets including the wedding industry are coping with this ‘new normal’. There are make-shift and other alternatives coming up in recent times.
Venues which are taking bookings…
- Rings and roses– wedding planners in Bangalore have their own venue!
- Hyatt Regency, Gurgoan– They provide a Hygiene kit (a mask, tissue, and sanitizer). Also at even corners, sanitizers will be conveniently placed. Set up crew will finish work one hour prior to guest arrival, ensuring proper time for sanitization of all guest contact points. Event space temperature will be maintained at 24°C (+/-1°C). All associates will be in PPE and we will ensure proper replacement of masks and gloves at regular stipulated intervals.
- Della Adventure Resorts, Lonavala(Pune): Every other company’s R&D department is working on various kinds of sanitization products. One change that is evident in the washrooms is that you will start seeing European style pedal-operated flushes, or sensor operated flushes. Even your washrooms are taken care of with this one!
- Pride Plaza Hotel, Aerocity: Restrictions on alcohol and alcoholic drinks have raised questions on the kind of libations that can be offered at weddings. Premium hotels like Pride Palaza have confirmed that they are following all Government regulations and have decided to add varieties of exotic mocktails, aerated beverages, smoothies, and juices in their offerings.
While hosting or booking a wedding for Pandemic wali Shaadi, ensure these:
- Safety measures followed by the venue owners, staff, and more.
- Hygiene is maintained at the venue, the banquet halls, food stations, and food areas.
- Washrooms are frequently sanitized.
- Proper disposable bins present at the locations.
- Availability of sanitizers at the venue, etc.
- The frequency of hand sanitizing undertaken by the staff at the venue.
Are you looking for Pandemic wali Shaadi Inspo?
You’ve planned this day for months, and in some cases, years. You’ve agonized over every little detail starting with the trimming on your dupatta to the exact shade of gold on your partner’s sherwani. The sangeet playlists, the bridesmaid’s outfits, the flowers at your reception, every decision took days and a dozen excel sheets.
You factored in emergencies, but nope, not a pandemic.
Also read Essentials To Carry During Covid-19
Your wedding date is here, the pandemic shows no sign of plateauing and one of the most important days of your life has to play out much, much different than you had planned.
During her lockdown wedding, Ludhiana-based oral maxillofacial pathologist Gurpreet Kaur, had fun turning her home’s backyard into a “wonderland” with her family.
The squad heartily made sure all the flowers were fumigated, sanitizers replaced the Gulab Jal in greeting the handful of guests at the entrance, and the uncomfortable masks became a wedding accessory that was going to be passed down through generations.
Chennai-based interior decorator Krishnamithra Rajan, had to Marie Kondo her original wedding party of 600 at the Leela Palace down to ten of her dearest.
But the home ceremony with the vows, retaining the simplest and most meaningful of each other’s traditions and getting to kickstart her ‘marriage’ without a shred of the big-fat-wedding-hangover. It was simple, elegant, and full of joy!
The family managed to spark all the joy. Check out the gorgeous photos and the home decor in the Instagram link. AMAZING! One true Pandemic wali Shaadi and feeling…
Drama, drama and more drama…
Digital marketer couple Chaitali Puri and Nitin Arora’s wedding was slated for May 2 and was meant to take place at a resort overlooking the Morni Hills in Punjab with “sunset pheras”, but the wedding they got ultimately, had an even more dramatic backdrop.
Imagining a wedding with 10 was not even part of the imagination from the bride here. And with the thought on 50 on the head, the couple thought of postponing their wedding.
But on the 1st of May, the groom’s would-be father-in-law called at noon asking if we’d still like to get married on the original date which was the next day! Realizing how we really just wanted to start our lives together – so we said YES!
What followed was 12 hours of complete madness. Special permission came through at 6 pm.
The bride, Chaitali wore her mother’s saree from Meena Bazaar, and her Nani’s(Mom’s mother) vintage gold choker and yes her own hair & makeup. Her in-laws & fiance traveled across state borders overnight.
All decorations were done by the family members – just some nice curtains and artificial flowers. and to beat it the Catering was a potluck! This Pandemic wali shaadi is definitely a memorable one for us as readers and for Nitin & Chaitali.
A Lesson to Value
The only real challenge for Pandemic wali Shaadi is the stress of not knowing when to marry. Just get on with a smile and register your marriages with govt guidelines and blessings of your mom-dad, Pandemic Wali Shaadi can be a memorable event of each other’s lives. In our opinion having your parents with you on the blissful occasion matters the most. This is a lesson- to value people who love you more than the materialistic joys.
Happy #quarantine weddings, Folks!!
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