Coronavirus: Couples getting engaged during COVID-19 isolation
A lavish proposal is a modern trend but the coronavirus, social isolation and quarantine has changed the love landscape. Yet few things can stop love with people finding new and special ways to pop the big question.
NSW
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A wedding proposal is always an intimate moment for two but the virus lockdown has meant couples have had to get creative as extravagant trips and romantic getaways are out the door.
But, as the saying goes, love will always find a way.
Ante Simic had hired a proposal company to organise a romantic, three-course dinner for two under the stars in the Hunter Valley.
March 27 was to be the day but COVID-19 spoiled all those plans.
“They had the hotel open but all the restaurants and wineries were closed so I made the call that there was no point,” the 25-year-old from Hurstville said.
With gatherings reduced to a maximum of just two people, the impending proposal was switched to the gazebo at the Observatory overlooking the harbour but getting his intended bride to the destination amid the lockdown laws was tricky.
“I told her I had organised a nice dinner for just us two and she was raising alarm bells because all the restaurants are closed,” he said.
“I was: ‘I’ve organised something for us two, stop asking too many questions’, so she got ready and had no idea.
“We walked up to the gazebo and I popped the question.”
His girlfriend Larissa Kuskovski said yes. Despite having his original plan crushed, he said the proposal was still special.
“In hindsight it was perfect,” he said.
“I tried to do something where my partner would have no idea, so it ticked all the boxes.
“It was amazing and breathtaking and it was just us two, which is what I wanted.”
And she agreed.
“I never thought he would do it with everything going on right now but it made me appreciate it more, it made it more special because he couldn’t wait,” Ms Kuskovski said.
But the wedding will wait until they can have everyone attend.
Melissa Gallacher, 28, also had to throw overboard her plan to propose to girlfriend Alyse McAvoy, 26, while on a cruise.
“I thought what a perfect time to propose because the first holiday Alyse and I took was a cruise, then this whole COVID thing started and I pulled the pin on it,” she said.
With new rules being introduced almost every day during March, she was making new plans all the time, only to be shut down the next day.
“Plan One was to stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, our favourite. I almost got Shangri-La to open their restaurant for me to propose in there, but the government changed the dining thing to takeaway, so that went out the window,” Ms Gallacher said.
With limited options, the proposal company suggested the rooftop of the couple’s Peakhurst apartment. So on March 28, the roof was converted to a fairyland of candles and lights, a rose petal aisle, balloons and the couple’s two schnauzers as witnesses.
“I asked Alyse’s dad if I could marry her and then told her she had to wash her hair, get your make-up on, get really dressed up, we are doing a date night corona-style, and she just went with it.”
Ms McAvoy said it was a complete surprise.
“She said don’t ask questions, so I didn’t, but when I came out of the lift out favourite song was playing and then I went out the door there were rose petals and candles and fairy lights and it led me to the sign: ‘Will you marry me?’ — it was beautiful,” Ms McAvoy said.
Downstairs on the street were Alyse and Melissa’s mothers, both named Karen.
“Our mums were tooting the horns and waving on the street from their cars and left balloons for us,” Ms Gallacher said.
“It was better than the cruise or the hotel, it was 110 per cent more us … both the Karens on the street tooting the horn and bottles of Moet, it was just so nice.”
“This is the way it was meant to be,” Ms McAvoy said.
Originally published as Coronavirus: Couples getting engaged during COVID-19 isolation