Weddings in Times of COVID: Simple, Intimate and Pocket-Friendly

Weddings in Times of COVID: Simple, Intimate and Pocket-Friendly

The COVID-19 crisis has shrunk the marriage celebrations in India that are otherwise full of grandeur. As coronavirus spreads across the country, the big, fat Indian weddings have turned into a low-key affair between two families. While marriage ceremonies have been put on hold due to the lockdown restrictions, some couples are opting to swap their lavish weddings for small intimate affairs. So, could this be the new normal?

Pooja Mishra, Miss Odisha-2016 and finalist of Femina Miss India-2016, was scheduled to get married in April. The venue, make-up artist and the photographer were booked well in advance to avoid the last-minute rush. But then the pandemic broke out, forcing her to postpone all the wedding plans. Pooja’s fiancé Soumyesh Mohapatra, who is in the Indian army, was stuck at his workplace and could not come home due to the lockdown. “Since the positive cases were on the rise, we had no idea when the wedding would take place. My fiancé managed to return to Odisha during the end of May and was quarantined. Since my father had fixed this marriage on his deathbed last year, we did not want to delay it any further. So we decided to get it done by following all the guidelines issued by the government,” she said.

Pooja Mishra

Sanitizers and thermal screening were arranged for the limited number of guests who were invited. Even masks matching the attires for wedding rituals including haldi and mehendi were made. “It was a different experience. People were too conscious about maintaining distance. We had initially planned for 750 people but had to cut it down to 50 guests. Every girl has her dream to get married in a unique way. And mine was totally new and different. People joined us on Zoom. At the end of the ceremony, all of us were happy since what matters most is that we love each other,” Pooja added.

The pandemic has dented so many aspects of collective life over the past few months, but weddings are a different story. COVID-19’s encounter with weddings has just begun. Even at the height of the initial lockdown in April, weddings did take place although with austerity.

Zeba Rukhsar

Zeba Rukhsar is another lockdown bride who always imagined her wedding to be a dream affair even if a simple one: nuptials under a canopy of flowers and lilting music ushering her to the venue, friends and family by her side, as the groom waited on stage. Her dream, although not shattered, was surely altered. Her siblings Zaina Muskan and Umair Nadeem made sure that their sister had the best day of her life. “Only 50 intimate family members were invited and the rest participated through video calls. I did feel let down seeing so few people but my family’s enthusiasm bolstered my confidence,” said Zeba. 

She further informed that a Sunnat Islamic wedding is meant to be a simple affair with just a handful of family members solemnising the wedlock. This is, in fact, a great way to deter families from spending lakhs of rupees on an affair which lasts a few days.

Marriage of Pooja Mishra

The age-old traditions associated with marriages have also undergone drastic changes due to COVID-19. The groom and his family are now welcomed with sanitisers instead of garlands. The groom arrives at the wedding with only a handful of baraatis, all wearing masks. On reaching the venue, they are greeted by the bride’s family with hand sanitisers. The baraatis enter the venue by maintaining social distance. The nagging relatives and annoying guests, who usually take offence at trivial things during weddings, have also stopped complaining as safety becomes the top priority at public gatherings.

Rehana Perween and Azad Khan were engaged in December 2019 and their wedding was scheduled to take place in May this year. They had never met in person as their parents had fixed the marriage. Their wedding was supposed to be a grand and lavish affair. However, COVID-19 ruined all their plans. With the country going into lockdown, markets, transport facilities, retailers and all business establishments were shut down. Marriage in these extraordinary times seemed impossible.

Soumyesh Mohapatra & Pooja Mishra

Yet, like in many Bollywood movies, the ending was happy, thanks to technology. It was a virtual wedding for Rehana and Azad. “We got married while being miles apart from each other. Our invite was an ecard with the date, time and link to the video call. The Qazi and our family coordinated on Zoom and the marriage was solemnised with the “Qubool hai”. To be honest, I was a bit unhappy about missing out on the actual experience, especially the physical presence of my husband. He returned in July but had to stay in quarantine. After all necessary check-ups, we could finally be together in August,” said Rehana.

Couples and their families have now become wiser when it comes to spending on weddings. Instead of squandering money on lavish functions, people are now opting for smaller guest lists, fewer rituals and lower expenses. For lovebirds Mehendi Hans and Amrit Agarwal, COVID-19 was no deterrent from getting married. They were aware that marriage during a pandemic could not be an ostentatious affair. So, their wedding was held at Hotel Marrion on June 30 with only 50 invitees from both the bride’s and the groom’s sides. 

Mehendi Hans

“It is true that the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 can cause some hindrances. But if we maintain social distance and follow the guidelines properly, I think there will be no issues. It’s not always necessary to hold a marriage in a grand way. Due to a smaller guest list, we could enjoy ourselves to the fullest as we had the most important people of our lives with us,” said Mehendi. 

The younger generation seems to have taken a liking to this unconventional way of marriage as it is less of a headache for both the bride and the groom as well as for their families. Instead of splurging on their weddings, many couples now want to use the money on future investments. But men and women are still divided when it comes to weddings during COVID-19. While women still expect to have a lavish, dreamy and fairy tale wedding, men wish for a traditional and simple ceremony.