Why you should consider a coronavirus elopement
When did weddings become synonymous with massive guest lists, Instagram hashtags and wishing wells? Eloping is firming up as a serious option for thousands of couples in engagement limbo — here’s why you should do it.
Lifestyle
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There were six days to go, and last-minute alterations were being made to my wedding dress.
A lovely bayside venue was booked, flights from as far as the United States were set to take off — and then coronavirus struck.
But my husband and I were lucky, because it wasn’t our actual wedding we were forced to pull the plug on last week.
We had a beautiful lakeside elopement in New Zealand last month; the impending reception was our families’ way of celebrating the commitment we made to each other.
The call to do away with conventions wasn’t an easy one but it’s a decision we don’t regret, especially after COVID-19 dashed the plans of thousands of couples around Australia during peak wedding season.
Before last Sunday’s strict quarantine laws were brought in, I laughed off mum’s suggestion to avoid hugging and kissing our guests. All week, I unconsciously touched my face with unsanitised hands.
But all that changed as the crisis escalated and evolved. As we grapple with love in the time of coronavirus, nuptials are set to become a whole lot more intimate.
The official advice is to thin out guest numbers, move a large wedding outdoors or face calling the event off altogether.
But realistically, how could couples possibly cull their guestlist after invites were sent? “Hi aunty Phyllis, you didn’t make the cut and are no longer welcome. Sorry!”
And considering Melbourne’s fickle weather, holding an open-air event with hundreds of guests and no indoor back-up appears to tempt fate.
Amid the uncertainty, many vendors are now suggesting elopements to stressed-out couples who face having to axe their weddings.
It’s a move most have never considered, but one worth mulling over.
There are no rules: an elopement could involve just the happy couple, or include their nearest and dearest.
There’s no venue necessary for adventurous souls — just take your pick from Victoria’s beautiful coastline, wild forests or alpine landscapes.
For traditionalists, the Victorian Marriage Registry is still marrying couples at the Old Treasury Building, albeit with very strict restrictions of up to 12 guests.
Even the hipster market is catered for, with Vegas-inspired ceremonies for rock’n’roll lovers at The Altar Electric’s neon-lit chapel in Collingwood.
The lack of guests doesn’t mean a lack of love — and when did weddings become synonymous with letterpress invites, massive guest lists, Instagram hashtags and wishing wells anyway?
All that matters is the lifelong, lawful commitment you’re making to the person you love.
If anything, my husband and I had a deeper connection with each other at our private ceremony, with more meaning and emotion than either of us expected.
There were no distractions, no obligations to go through the motions to please anyone, and our uncensored vows (where I dropped an f-bomb) were written for each other alone.
Plus, there’s no reason why newlyweds can’t have their fruit cake and eat it too after the pandemic passes.
After all, most of us would jump at any excuse for an almighty party once social distancing becomes a distant memory — and an elopement is the perfect reason for a celebration.
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