‘The peak is slap bang when we’d have our wedding
A HOUNSLOW councillor has been forced to postpone his wedding as the coronavirus pandemic has left a “cloud of fear” hanging over the special day.
Isleworth member Salman Shaheen and his partner Anna Ward were getting excited about their upcoming nuptials due at the end of May but instead have spent their weekend frantically on the phone reorganising the celebration for 120 people.
Despite having fixed their spring wedding at Strawberry Hill House near Twickenham, the couple who live in Brentford, are worried for their parents and older relatives who would be at higher risk of suffering from the deadly disease.
“We were really excited about it… We were preparing for the wedding, we had just booked the cake, Anna had got her dress. We booked the string quartet and a DJ,” Salman said.
“Slowly this coronavirus was creeping and creeping up and at first we had a discussion, should we postpone the wedding? At that moment it was a month ago, only a small handful of cases here in the UK. But in the last week everything kicked off.
“Unfortunately the peak is slap bang when we’d have our wedding. We have got family, relatives who are in the higher risk category…it would be such a shame if they couldn’t come.”
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The 35-year-old added: “A cloud of fear was just gathering over the wedding at a time that is supposed to be the happiest time of your life.”
And the global virus has also left Anna’s jetsetter hen do to Spain “up in the air” as global borders are closing and the Mediterranean nation had nearly 8,000 cases confirmed as of March 15.
But the couple – both former journalists – have luckily not had to abandon years of wedding planning because of the crisis. They have managed to rearrange the big day for early September at no extra cost.
“We have managed to postpone, the venue has been very good and kind to us and allowed us to move the dates – and the registrars and the suits – managed to get all that changed, they have been very reasonable,” Salman said.
“All the wedding suppliers they have said a lot of people are doing this now, everyone’s being very reasonable about it as ever they can in a crisis. I want to thank Strawberry Hill House and Madeleine’s cakes, Richmond Council and everyone else who’s postponed and been a help to us…
“It’s a massive shame, but I’m optimistic that by the end of summer we will be okay. I really do hope…we don’t know whether the heat will kill it off, if the peak will have come and gone and people are feeling much safer then.”
Salman flew out to meet Anna in Madrid, with a ring “burning a hole” in his pocket that he had the help of choosing from fellow councillor and friend Cllr Shantanu Rajawat – who works in the diamond ring business.
Following the surprise proposal the couple, who met at a picnic in Regents Park three years ago, celebrated the big step on a day trip to Toledo, the World Heritage Site south of the capital.
“It is amazing what happens in Wuhan fish markets can affect what happens in West London and whether a couple can get married or not,” Salman added.
“I could never imagine this happening… We hope everyone we know and love can get through it.”