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Soon-to-be-wed couples only want vaccinated guests to be present at their wedding
Couples are sending out invites asking friends and relatives to timely plan inoculation to be able to attend the wedding
Ever since the pandemic hit us, sanitisers, masks and RT-PCR tests became essential at wedding celebrations. And now there’s a new addition. Soon-to-be-wed couples want vaccinated guests only at their wedding and are sending out invites asking friends and relatives to timely plan inoculation.
Simran Ahuja, 32, an IT professional who is getting married in New Delhi in November this year sent out save-the-date invites with the message, ‘Get your shot before we tie our knot.” She says, “We’ll be shifting to a hotel where we are hosting our ceremonies and we’ll have senior citizens staying with us so we can’t be taking any risk. Therefore, we have asked those wanting to join us for the celebration to plan both the vaccine shots accordingly. This will help us create a safe environment.”
Another groom-to-be Akash Lal Bhardwaj, 30, an engineer from Noida who plans to have an intimate wedding affair says, “Only vaccinated guests are allowed to the wedding and we have decided to mention this on our wedding invites, too.” For his engagement ceremony last year, Bhardwaj took the creative route as well with e-vites that stated, “Be a superhero, wear your mask.”
Marriages scheduled in the coming months follow the same protocol. Wedding planner Akshay Chopra from Designer Events Inc. says, “For July weddings and even with restricted number of guests, at least one shot has become mandatory as hosts and the couple wants to make it a safe zone for everyone to attending.”
Some planners are already getting requests for year-end marriages to make arrangements and check vaccination certificates of guests beforehand arriving for destination weddings. “For November weddings, especially destination weddings in India, families are extremely particular about wanting only vaccinated vendors and guests. It’s becoming almost like a mandate now on save-the-date invites,” says wedding planner Kaveri Vij from Designer Events Inc.
Moreover, some are going the extra mile by tying up with hospitals, setting vaccination booths and booking slots for guests to get the jab. “We have partnered with few hospitals in metropolitan areas and have sent out timelines to guests to get the first vaccine latest by August end for a wedding to be attended in November,” says, luxury wedding planner, Manvir Singh, founder and managing director, Shanqh Luxury Events.
Singh who is also gearing up internation destination weddings being planned from November 2021 to March 2022 also adds, “For a person to be able to travel internationally, they’ll in any case have to get vaccinated and also show negative Covid-19 certificates on arrival at the airport and hotels.”
Apart from the guests at the weddings, vendors are also getting teams inoculated to be able to sail through the peak season smoothly. “Clients want wedding planners and vendors to be vaccinated prior to their work on the big day. Having said that, the RT-PCR test is still required [at hotels and while travelling], so it’s not like someone who has been vaccinated doesn’t have to undergo it,” says Namha Malhotra, founder, Castles & Coasters.
