While all of us have been hit hard by the second wave and subsequent lockdown, it's been especially heartbreaking for brides and grooms-to-be who had meticulously planned for their big day, only to have a cloud of uncertainty loom over it.
During a devastating second wave, couples are choosing to postpone their big day or have tinier, micro weddings (with just immediate family) rather than go online.
While all of us have been hit hard by the second wave and subsequent lockdown, it's been especially heartbreaking for brides and grooms-to-be who had meticulously planned for their big day, only to have a cloud of uncertainty loom over it. Yet, virtual-only weddings are not an option for these couples.
A Jeevansathi.com survey in April found that although the search for a life partner has moved online with ease (38 per cent of the respondents said they were comfortable taking a decision based on virtual meetings alone), virtual weddings haven’t met the same fate. Of the respondents surveyed, none opted for a virtual-only wedding. 55 per cent said they would prefer a smaller, intimate wedding while 27 per cent said they would readily have a big, fat Indian wedding, albeit with safety precautions. Safety and sanitisation remained a top priority for all couples.
Go small or go home “Virtual only celebrations are not the norm, and not preferred by couples, though live-streaming their intimate wedding continues to remain popular,” said Mehak Sagar, co-founder, WedMeGood, who continues to be flooded with enquiries of brides frustrated and stressed with their weddings being postponed or canceled for the umpteenth time.
“As compared to 2020, the wedding scenario has drastically changed. When the pandemic hit, everyone thought of it as a temporary situation,” she said. “But in 2021, there is a realisation that the pandemic is the new normal for the near future, and this has also affected the ideology of 2021 brides-to-be and grooms-to-be planning their weddings.”
Mehak Sagar, co-founder, WedMeGood
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The platform has observed that 20 per cent of couples in their database are choosing or already have resorted to an intimate wedding of 20-50 people with all safety precautions (as per local guidelines) in place rather than a virtual wedding. Sagar says couples who had their weddings planned for April and May have postponed it to the latter half of the year while those who had planned for winter weddings in Nov/Dec are still going forward with guests lists of 200+, hoping that the situation will get better, thanks to the vaccination drive.
Asked what she would advise brides and grooms-to-be, Sagar, says, “I think it comes down to what the couple envisions - if you have always dreamt of a large wedding, then use this time to stay home and plan it digitally towards the latter half of the year. For those however who do not have the luxury of waiting, doing a small ceremony with just immediate family may be what they need. The bottom line is - staying safe is the priority currently and keeping our family and loved ones safe is far more important than a particular date.”
