CELEBRATIONS OF LOVE FORCED TO WAIT

LIFE’S milestones — like weddings and engagement parties — have been thrown into disarray as travel and non-essential gatherings of more than 100 people are banned under increasing coronavirus pandemic precautions.

Geelong woman Kirbi Bound and partner Jason Lee were engaged in November and have spent the best part of five months planning their engagement party.

The couple was due to host 105 guests at Ripples Cafe on March 28.

The pair, who plan to marry in March 2021, were forced to abandon engagement party plans when more than half the guests pulled out due to COVID-19.

Ms Bound said the venue was also unable to confirm it would still be open on the date of their party.

“We were just excited to be getting all of our loved ones and friends together, including a lot of people we don’t see very often,” Ms Bound said.

Ms Bound said family members started messaging them to say they could not risk attending and getting sick.

“It ended up being just over half the guests (that pulled out) and we decided it wasn’t worth it, we can’t risk it and we pulled the pin,” Ms Bound said.

“You just put so much effort into it, the time spent planning and you are proud of it all.”

Eliza Sum, who was raised in Geelong, and husband Josh, were due to celebrate their wedding reception at Swan Bay’s Basils Farm last Saturday after eloping in New Zealand in February.

The couple made the heartbreaking decision to cancel the event last weekend because more than a third of the guests were travelling from overseas.

“We made the decision before the travel restrictions because it was starting to get a little bit concerning,” Ms Sum said.

“When Scott Morrison announced the quarantine laws we knew we couldn’t go ahead.”

Ms Sum said her mother and family were devastated the event had to be postponed.