Live-stream wedding, or marriage postponement? How to plan an Instagram-friendly, socially distanced wedding ceremony in the time of Covid-19
The biggest trend in weddings this year is cancellation thanks to Covid-19 – but some are still going ahead with less traditional intimate gatherings, socially distanced and even more artfully composed for all-important Insta-worthy highlight reels
A month before the wedding, with 120 guests expected to fly into Hong Kong for a 200-person reception, the government banned large gatherings in an attempt to curb Covid-19. Wedding planner and designer Christine Ritter was tasked with crisis control.
The reception had to be cancelled but the marriage itself went ahead: she reduced the church service to less than 20 people, including the bride and groom’s parents, who had flown in weeks earlier to quarantine, along with bridesmaids and a bridesman, plus a photographer, videographer and the priest. Ritter, of Christine Ritter Designs, filmed the service herself on her phone for Instagram Live.
“We had to multitask due to the headcount,” she says. “The couple were unsure about a live-screened event as it sounded a little gimmicky, but you can keep it intimate. They were also unsure about the sound, but as churches had already started doing live-stream sermons, we decided it was worth trying.”
The 11am start time made it difficult for UK guests to view the proceedings, but those in the US could watch from around 11pm. Around 90 different accounts watched the ceremony.
“It was really sweet, with guests sending heartfelt messages throughout the ceremony. The couple were very happy, and touched by the response,” says Ritter.
Countless other couples around the world have been less fortunate, cancelling their nuptials entirely or postponing them for the foreseeable future.
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Alila Villas Uluwatu in Bali, a popular wedding destination with Hongkongers and others, hosted up to 250 couples annually before the pandemic. They now report that while only a small number of weddings have been cancelled, most others have been postponed to 2021.
Hemal Jain, general manager of the hotel, says that the pandemic may even have a long-term impact on weddings.