Image: CIRO DE LUCA
The Covid-19 outbreak and President Cyril Ramphosa’s national regulations, limiting events and gatherings to less than 100 people, has caused disruptions in the wedding scene.
This week the government urged religious leaders to adhere to the restrictions, while Gauteng premier David Makhura said families wanting to conduct weddings should inform the police.
Eastern Cape couples who are soon to be betrothed have expressed anxiety at the possibility of postponing or cancelling their big day.
East London-born Kirsty Williams said she and her fiancé, Kyle Meyer, had set May 1 as their wedding date.
“The coronavirus outbreak has been unsettling and has caused much uncertainty in the planning,” Williams said. “Our wedding will be in an indoor venue in Pretoria and we’ve invited 80 guests. This is fewer than the suggested number but we don’t want to take any chances.
“We have family travelling from different parts of the country and we have to take that into consideration. We will make our final decision sometime next week as we closely monitor the developments surrounding the virus. If things worsen we will have to postpone the ceremony.”
She said some of her guests had expressed their concern about travelling for the wedding.
Another Eastern Cape couple, who asked to remain anonymous, said they were set to marry later this year but would wait until June to see if they could continue with the planning.
“Covid-19 is obviously making us a bit nervous but we are hoping that by December all of this will be over,” they said. “So for now we will maintain our original plan.
“We’ve had the conversation of a possibility of postponement to 2021 if things don’t improve.
“We both have big families and 100 people, including the wedding party, simply won’t work for us. The lobola has been paid and so we are married, so we feel there is no rush for the ceremony.”
Simon Amos-Brown, manager of popular East London wedding venue Gonubie Manor, said the coronavirus outbreak had scared off brides and grooms to be.
“We have had a number of wedding cancellations that were supposed to happen in May and April,” he said. “This has been very heavy on the business’s finances. A few have postponed.
“Those who cancelled were expecting up to 200 guests. Every day things seem to be getting worse with the virus but we can only hope things will subside and get better.”
Amos-Brown said his son, who is getting married on Saturday had to down scale his guest numbers.
“The wedding guest number was decreased from 130 to 50. This was done to prevent people from flying in. And so the wedding has turned into a private function, mostly for family,” he said.
East London systems administrator Lwando Shode, who now lives in Johannesburg, said he had cancelled his travel arrangements for a wedding he was supposed to attend this weekend.
“I was meant to fly down to East London but with the rise of Covid-19 cases in Johannesburg, we don’t know who has and who doesn’t have it.
“My friend’s wedding is still going on but I don’t want to risk a potential spread of the virus in the Eastern Cape. So until I get tested I’m not leaving Gauteng,” he said.