Unlock 2.0 weddings: More practical concerns crop up amid cut down on pomp and show

The big, fat Indian wedding has lost its sheen post lockdown. With strict rules in place by the government to curb the spread of coronavirus, weddings are now small, family affairs. Replete with face masks, gloves and other hygiene protocols in place, the bride and groom’s families are ensuring limited number of guests and maintaining social distancing during the ceremony. Odisha is seeing a surge in the number of wedding ceremonies in the unlock 2.0 phase. Those that were scheduled for the second half of March 2020, April and May, are taking place now but without the pomp and show. Now, it’s more about creating memories than showing off.

Pic by- Subham Mishra
A handful of guests
Since more than 50 guests are not allowed, people are inviting only a few close ones to the wedding. Around 12 people are allowed near the mandap while others have to leave the venue after dinner.
“I have a lot of friends and there are many people in my extended family. But I could invite none of them. It was only my family and relatives staying here and a handful of friends.
The government has strict guidelines. We were bound to follow that,” said Ankit Priyadarshi, an IT engineer who recently got married.
Samarendra Sahu, a photographer, said that he was contacted by a friend to shoot a wedding but at the last minute his contract got cancelled. This was because the groom’s side wanted only one photographer so that they can accommodate a guest. “I was contacted in March for this wedding. But at the last moment, I was dropped from the photography team as the client didn’t want more people the team,” he said.

Pic by Kshitish Dash
Can’t do without mask
The post lockdown weddings are all about compulsory masks. While giving permission, the government guideline mentions that all attendees, including the bride and the groom, must wear masks. “It’s difficult to keep wearing masks all the time during the wedding. But we followed it to the T since it was for our safety. I had hired a good photographer so that I could make a good memory of this lifetime event,” said Saptarsi Dutta, an aircraft engineer, who stays in Vizag.
All Covid-19 protocols in place
These days, there are a lot of protocols to be followed while arranging a wedding. Since the fear of Covid-19 is huge now because of the sharp rise in the number of patients in the country, the government has made it mandatory to follow all the guidelines so that a wedding doesn’t become a spot for mass spread of the disease.
While mask is a must, maintaining social distancing and keeping sanitisers and hand washes at the wedding venue are also compulsory.
Subham Mishra, a wedding photographer, said that he has been taking all precautions while at wedding shoots. “I am maintaining at least two weeks or one-month gap between events. My team follows all precautions so that they don’t get infected with the virus. We wear masks all the time. The hotels in the city have all arrangements, which is a good thing. People are now more interested in spending on photography because creating good memories is all that is left,” said Subham.
Cut down on excess show
Since there is a check in number of guests allowed, many are seeing this as an opportunity to reduce huge expenditures. Saptarsi said that his marriage was fixed much before the lockdown. “But once the restriction came in to existence, the expenditure was reduced to a good extent. Now we are planning to keep that money for our future savings,” he said.

Virtual wedding a thing now
Many are opting for live telecast of their wedding through virtual platforms. Artist and art promoter, Kshitish Dash, who got married recently, invited all his friends and acquaintances to be a part of his wedding virtually. “I have a lot friends living across the country as well as outside of it. If it was during normal times, they would have loved to be a part of my celebrations. Since we are bound to restrict the guest list, I planned their virtual presence,” said Kshitish.
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