The COVID-19 restrictions may have dampened wedding ceremonies across the world, but, for one Indian-origin couple in the UK, nothing could come in the way of a grand celebration, not even a pandemic.
Wedding photos of the London couple, Roma Popat and Vinal Patel, are being shared on Instagram after they hosted a drive-in ceremony with 250 guests recently.
The two tied the knot at Braxted Park in Essex, with their guests watching the ceremony on a giant screen from their cars.
As the UK government has reduced the number of guests allowed at wedding ceremonies and sit-down receptions to 15 people, to curb the spread of COVID-19, the couple had to postpone their wedding in April.
“When we had to postpone our wedding in April, we had no idea whether we would be able to get married this year or not,” Popat told an international news media outlet. “We both come from big families. [The restrictions] meant we each would have only our parents, siblings, and a set of grandparents able to attend the ceremony in person,” she added.
According to the wedding planners, the idea was initially brought up as a joke, before becoming a reality.
Wedding planner Saheli Mirpuri said: “The couple initially brought up the idea of a drive-in wedding as a joke. It sounded crazy, but the more we talked about it, the more it seemed possible,” according to a BBC report.
On the day of the wedding, as guests arrived, they were given welcome hampers that contained hand gel and were requested to stay in their vehicles throughout, said a PTI report.
They parked outside the wedding venue and could see the ceremony on a big screen while maintaining social distance.
Later, the newlyweds waved to guests, as mask-wearing staff drove them around in a decorated golf buggy.
Since a buffet wasn’t possible, guests could choose from pizza, chilli chips, pasta, garlic bread, and salad, and catering staff delivered it to them on Segways.
The bride said it meant everything to them that their friends and family were able to be a part of the celebration. “Everyone was honking their horns and cheering us. It was incredible,” she said, according to a news report.
