Neha Yadav
As the world mulled over Covid19 driven fears, weddings took a virtual spin online. Taking vows and tying the knot was never imagined to have taken place through the internet. The ‘big, fat, grand’ wedding that thrived with hundreds of guests costing ‘big-fat’ amount during pre-pandemic is history for many couples these days.
With safety and social distancing norms put in place, the world cooped-up inside their homes cancelling all the possible plans of attending weddings. As the pandemic razed millions of lives, almost every country regulated gatherings at the minimal level. Technology and Internet that once connected people online, kicked off with the most viable resort for couples to get married. Weddings became leaner with not more than 20 guests at the venue. But, there has been no limit to the internet in connecting as many people as possible.
A peek into the pandemic in the last two years may give a glimpse of complete lockdown. However, in the last couple of years, we have witnessed the shutters of internet open for everyone sparking digital weddings online with increase in distance offline. With the advent of technology, this pandemic led us to explore the existing perks of long-found developments online. Video Calling, Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality with Metaverse helped many grooms and brides to host their weddings in an equally enjoyable space without limitations in guest numbers.
Garima and Parv from Chennai are one of the many couples who already collated and planned how exactly they wanted their wedding to be. As soon as their ‘big day’ was to arrive, lockdown and social distancing restrictions were enforced. The impracticality of inviting more than 20 people including family and friends broke their plans apart. However, after beating around the bush, the couple decided to have a virtual wedding celebration. The two of them got married in Hawaii while the guests witnessed both of them tying the knot virtually.
As soon as the idea became a full-fledged success with first-mover couples into the virtual wedding space, various startups and wedding planning companies came up with their alternate –digital wedding plans during the pandemic.
Adhish Zaveri, Director marketing at Shaadi.com explained, “It's where you are apart physically but together in the festivities. It is rooted in the spirit of togetherness, minus the frills and expenses." According to Shikha Nahata, co-founder of Espousal, an online wedding expo platform, “Keeping in mind the restrictions and the potential danger Covid poses, families feel that a virtual wedding is a far better option than not having a wedding at all."
In a similar instance, Dinesh S P and Janaganandhini Ramaswamy tied the knot in Krishnagiri district. However, for their reception, the duo will take their guests into a virtual venue through a logging link on their laptops in metaverse. The function is slated to be held in the halls of Hogwarts castle where the couple’s avatar will greet the avatars of the guests who log in from the special link. What makes the reception special is that the bride’s late father’s avatar will also preside over the reception. This will be the first of its kind wedding reception in Metaverse. The groom, Dinesh also shared the short invitation clip of their Harry Potter themed wedding reception on twitter.
With the pandemic likely to make people huddle indoors with its recurring waves, internet and digital weddings have come as a blessing in lives of couples and their families who get to connect with each other online and share real-time experiences with such thriving technology. The pandemic has had an adverse effect on event organizing businesses. Post-Covid, these businesses have either tided over the losses or continue to recover with the alternate idea of online wedding.
Comentários