COVID-19: Couples forgo grand weddings, donate money to relief fund

From virtual weddings to marriage ceremonies wearing masks while maintaining social distancing is becoming the new normal for couples getting hitched amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

As someone rightly said love knows no boundaries, in the current situation of the lockdown, several couples have decided to let go of their big fat Indian weddings, in a bid to give back to society.

Putting to rest plans for a grand wedding, a couple in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district on Thursday (May 14) tied the knot in a simple ceremony and donated a part of the funds set aside for the occasion to aid the state in its fight against COVID-19.

The groom, Jyoti Ranjan Swain, said the two families had made elaborate plans for the wedding, but the couple decided to ditch the celebrations, and donate ₹10,000 to the chief minister’s relief fund.

“We had earlier arranged a grand function. But the lockdown threw a spanner in the works. So we decided to donate a part of the money saved for the wedding to help the state combat the pandemic,” said the groom, a resident of Erasama block in the district.

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Apart from the parents, the inspector of Erasama police station and block development officer (BDO) attended the wedding. The ceremony was held maintaining social distancing norms, Swain said.

Erasama BDO Kartik Chandra Behera said the couple handed over the cheque to him, following the ceremony.

“There was no social gathering. The couple distributed sweets after the ceremony. It was a simple affair,” Behera added.

In Delhi, Avinash and Kirti decided to tie the nuptial knot amid the nationwide lockdown, bringing to life the popular phrase Jab ladka ladki raazi, toh kya karega qaazi (When the girl and boy are ready what can the judge do).

After having initially planned a grand celebration in Satna, Madhya Pradesh with a guest list of over 8,000 people, the couple decided to take their vows digitally.

Their wedding ritual was conducted via video call in Ghaziabad, while the priest solemnised the wedding from his home in Mumbai. The guests blessed the couple online from within the confines of their homes.

“We were already determined to get married no matter what the scale would be, this April. So, we didn’t have any second thoughts once we decided to go ahead with a virtual wedding,” Avinash said.

The couple added that their parents were initially hesitant but they reassured them that none of the rituals or ceremonies will be left out, and later the parents agreed.

The wedding — organised by matrimonial platform Shaadi.com — was attended by over 200 participants virtually from across 10 countries. Post the ceremonies, food delivery was organised to the houses of guests to distribute sweets and food.

Weddings from home is emerging as a popular concept among young couples whose love knows no boundaries.

Related news: Coronavirus plays truant with wedding plans

Sushen and Keerti said that they could be together while being responsible citizens and following all the laws laid out.

The couple had planned a destination wedding at Jim Corbett National Park in April but the lockdown forced them to change their plans. They worked with Shaadi.com and Leo Burnett and sent out e-invites for guests, and even took an online tutorial for mehendi (a ceremony before the wedding).

“Our friends and relatives prepared various performances virtually for our sangeet ceremony. Finally, we had a panditji who performed all the rituals in presence of over 100 guests,” said Sushen.

Apart from their friends, the live telecast online got over 16,000 views. Sushen is now waiting for the lockdown to end, so that Keerti can join him in Mumbai to begin the next phase of their lives.

(With inputs from agencies)