Welcome to Ceylon Wedding

A guide to planning your wedding during COVID-19

Can’t wait for the pandemic to be over to tie the knot with the man/woman of your dreams? You
don’t have to. Here are some useful tips on how to plan your wedding during the COVID pandemic.

1. Find out about specific government regulations for weddings.

• Are weddings being prohibited temporarily?
• What is the maximum number of guests allowed?

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. (Maybe leave out the senior citizens who are the most vulnerable. No, grandma will NOT hear of it! But at least have a conversation, so extra caution is taken if she - or any other person above age 60 - attends the event).

2. Re-imagine your wedding.

Sri Lankan weddings are unique. Whether it is the Poruwa Ceremony or whether it’s a church reception, we have our own wonderful ways of celebrating this grand event. So visualize your wedding from beginning to end 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.
• Buffet - Oh yes, we queue up. Like we practically stomp each other trying to get to all of those delicious dishes! Well, this will have to change. Have someone supervise the buffet queues and allow only a limited number of people to be at the buffet table at any given moment.
• Dance floor - Sri Lankans love dancing at weddings. And we all know how things go down when the Baila kicks in! We know this is a bummer, but you will have to scrap the dance floor. 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 maximum hygiene and safety.

• Ensure your seating arrangement adheres to social distancing. Keep enough space between chairs and tables.
• If it is possible at all, go for an outdoor wedding! 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.

 Good luck!