Life right now seems like time has been divided into two- ‘before coronavirus’ and ‘after coronavirus‘. According to World Info, there are currently 135,866 confirmed cases in 129 countries and territories across the globe. The death toll is currently 4,992 and people are really worried about what is going to happen in the future since there has been no cure or vaccine developed for it yet.
Many industries including tourism and aviation have been terribly affected because people have cancelled their travel plans and many countries are also on lockdown and aren’t allowing people in. Even the wedding industry has been affected since many people had planned destination weddings during this time.
One such Delhi-based bride is Gopalika Virmani who had to rethink her wedding plans because of the coronavirus outbreak. Daughter of runway choreographer, Rashmi Virmani, she had her special day all planned out- a luxurious wedding in Lake Como along with her closest friends and family to celebrate her tying the knot with Dhruv Gurwara. But the situation in Italy is very grave and more than a thousand people have already lost their lives.
“We are still doing the wedding and it hasn’t been cancelled. The situation in India is still precarious so we haven’t narrowed down on anything. We have told the guests that the wedding date has been shifted to a week later than the original and now have two options of either doing it in Rishikesh or in Delhi itself,” shared Gopalika.
Gopalika is an art director and has designed concept shoots for a number of brands including Kama Ayurveda, Ridhi Mehra, Tarun Tahiliani and a whole lot more. She has made a place for herself in the fashion industry and has a hoard of work under her name.
“I wanted to get married in Italy because I studied there and worked there for a while and it was close to my heart but my house is close to my heart too. I have so many memories from childhood associated with it. Even Dhruv’s house is very special as is Rishikesh which was the go-to destination for many family trips,” the bride-to-be added.
A positive-sounding Gopalika realised that amongst all the wedding madness and planning she realised that after all, it was just a puja. And even though the pre-wedding parties are what one looks forward to the most, when you really think about what getting married means, you realise that it’s only warmth and love that you need.
She spoke about the same on her Instagram and here’s what she said:
Dhruv and Gopalika have spoken to the venue in Como for a refund of their advance payments and they have been helpful and supportive. She’s taking it all in her stride and even put it humorously as ‘an exam you studied a whole lot for but got cancelled at the very end’.
They have also cancelled their travel plans so the honeymoon is going to have to wait as is the family trip the couple had been planning.
If you are planning to have your wedding during this pandemic, here are some safety measures you can keep in mind:
- Hand Sanitisers: Alcohol-based hand sanitizers should be readily available at every table and should be given to guests in bulk.
- Keep Reminding Guests To Wash Their Hands: This must be done thoroughly and with soap to avoid the virus from entering your system.
- Send Out Reminders For Everyone To Carry Masks: While masks don’t prevent you from contracting the virus, it does stop it from spreading in case you are a carrier. Keep masks handy for guests to use too.
- Alcohol-based Wipes: These should be given to all guests as part of their welcome gifts and they should be reminded to keep frequently used surfaces clean.
- Ask Them To Maintain Respiratory Etiquette: Cover coughs and sneezes with a surgical/procedure mask or tissue. Cough/sneeze into the bend of your arm, not your hand.
- Asking The Venue To Maintain Hygiene And Cleanliness: Frequently touched areas such as toilets, bedside tables, light switches and door handles should be first cleaned (to physically remove dirt) and disinfected daily with water and regular household cleaning products or a diluted bleach solution (0.5% sodium hypochlorite).
Be safe and stay informed guys. For all updates on the situation in India, we’ll be here to help you.
Featured Image: Instagram
Start your 2020 right with our cool new planners and statement-making sweatshirts that are fun, fab and 100% you! Psst… there’s an additional 20% off too, so head to POPxo.com/shop and take it up a POP!