A guide to planning your Sri Lankan wedding during COVID-19
Waiting for the pandemic to be over to tie the knot with the man/woman of your dreams? Wait no more! Here are some useful tips on how to plan your wedding during the COVID pandemic.
Government regulations for weddings.
- Is there a temporary suspension on weddings?
- How many guest are allowedts allowed?
- Are there any other restrictions that you should be aware of?
Consider inviting only your closest family and friends. Limiting the number of guests makes it easier for you to comply with COVID health regulations. It also helps to minimize the risk of the virus spreading.
Re-imagine your wedding.
Sri Lankan weddings are unique. Whether it is the Poruwa Ceremony or a church reception, we have our wonderful ways of celebrating this grand event. Visualize your wedding entirety and think of all the typical ways that people would interact in close proximity.
- Poruwa Ceremony – All of your friends and family will be huddled around the Poruwa during the rituals so that everyone can witness this magnificent moment of tradition and splendour. Perhaps the Poruwa should be placed on a raised podium so that the couple can be seen from afar and people can maintain social distancing. Alternatively, if sufficient room is available, provide seating that adheres to the spacing guidelines.
- Photo-taking – The couple usually takes photos with each and every family/group present. Usually this is a prolonged business, but now you will have to make it quick so as to minimize interaction. There are several talented wedding photographers in Sri Lanka, and it is necessary to update them on your weddings risk management protocols in advance.
- Dance floor – People love dancing at weddings. And we all know how things go down when the Baila kicks in! Sri Lankan wedding bands truly know how to light up the dance floor. However, we know this is will sound as bummer, but you will have to scrap the dance floor in order to maintain the necessary safety procedures. How about encouraging people to dance from right where they are seated?
- Hugs and kisses – Yup. It is sad, but you will have to maintain a ‘strictly no hugs and kisses’ policy. Consider old-school Ayubowan instead.
3. Observe hygiene and safety measures.
- Make sure the seating arrangement adheres to social distancing. Keep enough space between chairs and tables.
- If it is possible at all, go for an outdoor wedding! There are plenty of unique wedding locations in Sri Lanka. Think beach wedding or garden wedding. Spacious, airy and the risk of the virus spreading is lower compared to a group of people packed into a sealed, air-conditioned hall.
- Place hand sanitizers on each and every table and wherever else needed, and install a sufficient number of hand washing stations.
- Give special attention to the washrooms. Post a list of instructions on the door specifying the maximum number of people allowed inside at a given time (depends on the size of the washrooms).
- Make masks mandatory for all guests and hotel staff, and if you don’t want to dampen the festive mood with blue surgical masks, consider offering a mask of your own design to each guest upon arrival. (It could match your decor!)
4. Ensure that all of your guests are aware of your COVID-19 safety plan.
Inform everyone beforehand about the rules, and also perhaps have a friendly notice at the entrance as well as inside the premises. It’s possible that a guest or two who has had a few too many drinks (if alcohol is allowed by the authorities), completely forgets the fact that we’re in the midst of a pandemic (there’s always that one uncle!). Get your friends and family to help you keep track of things and to make sure things don’t spiral out of hand.