Emotional time for couples
AWimmera celebrant is finding some couples are still choosing to tie the knot despite a significant decrease in marriages across Victoria in 2020.
State-wide COVID-19 lockdowns that started in March, and re-introduced in August, have forced many affianced couples to rethink their wedding plans.
Under stage-three restrictions regional Victorians are permitted to have only five people, including the celebrant, bride and groom and two guests aged over 18, at a wedding.
Melbourne’s stage-four restrictions mean weddings are not permitted to take place unless on compassionate grounds.
Victoria’s Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages shows a 27 percent decrease in couples tying the knot from January 1 to July 31 in 2020 compared with the same period last year.
The decrease has meant celebrants, including Horsham’s Allison Roberts from Wimmera Weddings, have far less work throughout this period.
However, Mrs Roberts said people were still forward planning and some were even going ahead with their weddings – albeit with a reduced guest list.
“I’ve had two couples who have decided to go ahead with the five people rule – one actually only wanted five people,” she said.
“They’ve said down the track when rules change, they’ll have a gathering with family and friends.”
Mrs Roberts said some couples had to rethink their wedding plans several times due to the changing-nature of COVID-19.
“Over the past five months several of my couples have had to change their plans a couple of times now,” she said.
“Some had planned their event in the Grampians with 120 guests.
“Now, with the current restrictions in the next five weeks, they can only have five people.”
Mrs Roberts started working as a celebrant 10 years ago because she enjoyed sharing ‘heart-warming’ moments with couples and their families and friends.
“I’ve done about 130 weddings now,” she said.
“Weddings are happy events – it’s lovely to meet new people and I love going to different locations.
“I get to be a part of weddings in paddocks on farms, on the beach, in someone’s lounge room – I just enjoy the variety of it and sharing all the experiences.
“Through that I’m able to make good suggestions to couples who are booking.”
Mrs Roberts said it was challenging to plan a wedding under COVID-19 restrictions, but she was glad she could still help couples plan for their special day.
“It’s difficult for them. We’re just rolling with it and adapting as the rules are changing to ensure that we can give the best possible service to our couples because it’s a highly emotional time,” she said. “Some couples have been planning for quite some time.
“I’m sure they pictured it to be in a certain way and it just won’t be able to be in the way they imagined it at the moment.”
Mrs Roberts said many couples were looking beyond 2020.
“I’ve actually taken a couple of bookings in the past week, so the lockdowns are not stopping people with their forward planning,” she said.
“I’ve had one couple who postponed to 2021 and another until early 2022 due to a significant amount of interstate family. We can put dates in and start working towards their dream weddings.”