Couples rush to get married to beat SA’s COVID wedding ban with one giving the virus the bird

Couples scrambled to get married after news broke that weddings would be banned from midnight – with one bride hilariously giving COVID the bird in a video.

Couples have scrambled to beat a wedding ban, tying the knot with just hours to spare amid fear another lockdown could drive businesses to the wall.

The Advertiser knows of five couples – who planned to get married this weekend – holding snap ceremonies just hours after news broke that weddings would be banned for six days from midnight, forcing cancellations and throwing the industry into chaos.

Funerals have also been banned for the first time from today, in a move described by the industry’s peak body as “unconscionable”, while aged care and disability residential care venues have been locked down.

Organised end-of-life visits in nursing homes will be permitted.

David Baldino, 36 and Jessabeau Thompson, 27, rushed to get married at Adelaide Botanic Gardens on Wednesday after COVID-19 wrecked their wedding plans for the second time.

The pair were scheduled to marry on April 11 but the first outbreak forced them to rearrange the big day for this Saturday, November 21.

“We weren’t going to rearrange again, we have to move on with the rest of our lives,” Mr Baldino, of Croydon Park, said ahead of their 7pm ceremony with close friends and family.

“The (ban) still was a shock to us … it’s just unbelievable for it to happen twice to us.

“But it is what it is, as long as we’re doing our part to keep everyone safe that’s the important thing.”

Mr Baldino said their wedding reception – originally for 165 guests at the National Wine Centre – would only happen when SA was clear of all restrictions.

Jessabeau Thompson and David Baldino after tying the knot at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, which stayed open 30 minutes later so they could get married with close friends and family. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Tanya Kapoulitsas, 41, was doing last minute wedding shopping in Rundle Mall when she watched Premier Steven Marshall’s press conference slamming the door shut on her planned wedding this Saturday with 300 guests.

”I was sitting on a bench in the Mall and burst out crying,” the Burnside resident said.

Her fiance Stan Kapoulitsas, 47, rang her and suggested they get married that night sparking a flurry of calls to suppliers, friends and family who gathered for a full ceremony at St Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Church, Propsect at 8pm.

The couple had dinner at a Greek restaurant at Magill and got home by 11.55am in what Ms Kapoulitsas described as a moment out of Cinderella. In a video posted by Ms Kapoulitsas moments after the happy event, she gives the virus the bird.

Ms Kapoulitsas said they would wait until life was “back to normal” so they could throw a party to celebrate the wedding.

Tanya and Stan Kapoulitsas marry at St Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Church. Supplied picture

Tanya and Stan Kapoulitsas had planned to wed on Saturday, November 21 but brought the ceremony forward due to the COVID lockdown. Supplied picture

A wedding planned for Sacred Heart College at the weekend was moved forward to Wednesday night.

The couple had planned to livestream their wedding in the school chapel in front of 57 guests.

However, when news of the six-day lockdown emerged, the school worked with the couple to bring the event forward to Wednesday evening.

Kelly Markos, who operates venues Utopia@Waterfall Gully, Glanville Hall, Adelaide Pop-Up Weddings, has cancelled three weddings this weekend in addition to other events due to the lockdown.

She said the future of another seven weddings scheduled from Wednesday were also uncertain, potentially blowing a $150,000 hole in her earnings.

Seven of the 10 weddings were rescheduled from March and April after the initial COVID-19 restrictions.

She believed a lockdown was inevitable but that it would have a “huge impact” on her business and the industry generally which was starting to try and “claw our way back”.

“This was an incredibly busy week and next week we were moving into our main event season,” she said. “I think for many (businesses) this might be the final straw.”

Australian Funeral Directors Association president Andrew Pinder said the total ban on funerals was “unprecedented and unconscionable.”

“We cannot comprehend why the South Australian Government has made such a drastic and never before experienced total ban on funerals,” he said.

“We are calling on the South Australian Government to show compassion to its people and followthe examples set in other states, including Victoria, and implement safe and small funerals for families to respectfully pay their respects.”

He said emergency storage of bodies will be required if funerals were banned beyond six days.

National Seniors Australia chief advocate Ian Henschke supported the aged care lockdown.

“Lockdown is a proper response until the risk is assessed properly,” he said.

Anglicare SA announced that 11 staff at its Brompton aged care home, who came into contact with three employees who tested positive to COVID-19 earlier this week, have been placed in mandatory isolation.

The centre had no new cases today. Staff and residents would be retested again on Thursday.

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