Townsville couple remould wedding plans following COVID-19 restrictions

Many Townsville couples have had their dreams smashed overnight with the announcement of a strict five person limit in attendance at weddings.

Celebrant Alex Jurgens (centre) with Robert Bessell and Bianca Barbagallo at Queens Gardens. Picture: Evan Morgan

Many Townsville soon-to-be married couples have had their dreams smashed overnight with the announcement of a strict five person limit in attendance at weddings.

The new rules were announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison this week as part of stage 2 of Australia’s coronavirus lockdown measures.

AJ Wedding Celebrant marriage celebrant Alex Jurgens is helping couples to remould their wedding plans in-line with the new restrictions.

Ms Jurgens said many couples were willing to reconstruct their special day.

“Obviously they have put their heart and soul into planning their wedding so it is obviously devastating that all of that as come to a halt,” she said.

“But a lot of the couples understand the reason why and feel that it is for the best.”

Ms Jurgens is currently helping engaged couple Bianca Barbagallo and Robert Bessell replan their wedding day.

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The couple were meant to be married on June 26 but have had to cancel all the arrangements.

Ms Barbagallo said after 12 months of planning their wedding, they both still wanted to have a ceremony despite the new restrictions.

“It was absolutely devastating, my heart just sank especially because we had planned so far ahead and then the rug was pulled out from under us,” she said.

“We are just grateful to Alex that we can still get married and we really want to start a family and being married is very important to us.”

The couple will now marry on April 28 in the presence of Ms Jurgens with the bride and groom’s mothers as their witnesses.

While the national cabinet agreed to ease restrictions around funeral attendees yesterday, with the 10-person limit now able to be waived in cases of hardship yesterday, a five-person cap on weddings remains in place.

Ms Jurgens said the strict wedding measures should be assessed on a case-to-case basis.

“Most weddings take place outside in North Queensland and I think the PM thought weddings are in a chapel and you are inside which is not the case,” she said.

“It's a little bit confusing because it is not clear. (The Prime Minister) said no public gatherings of over five people but funerals are still 10 people so I am not sure what is the difference.”

Originally published as Townsville couple remould wedding plans following COVID-19 restrictions