Weddings with a plan B for the covid

A newly married couple before the Barcelona City Council.Joan Sánchez

Girlfriends and boyfriends pending a decree of the Generalitat until the last second to know if the "yes, I want to" had to be postponed until later.

With everything prepared, the ceremony, the dresses, the details, the flowers, the treat ... The closure of bars and restaurants decreed by the Generalitat within a package of restrictive measures against the increase in coronavirus infections has had many effects collateral.

One, the cancellation of weddings.

Some in a total way and postponing them to 2021. Others, celebrating only the civil or religious ceremony and postponing the treat until the restrictions are lifted.

In both cases, the cancellations have been a notable upset for the couple, families and friends.

In addition to the halls and restaurants where they were going to celebrate that they have had to deal with the sudden cancellation as they could with the refrigerators overflowing.

At Villa Bugatti, some wedding halls and events in Cabrera de Mar, this weekend they have canceled two weddings: “The summer started well and in September we also worked well.

Now, with these restrictions, the season is over ”, points out Montse, the company's commercial director, who has also seen how, for November and December, the companies' reservations for Christmas dinners and lunches do not enter either.

"A disaster," he sums up.

Ana Hidalgo and Oriol Casamitjana had already chosen the date of their wedding, October 17, since January.

They were going to get married in Sant Vicenç de Montalt.

“In February we started the registration procedures and they gave us an hour for May.

But as we were in a state of alarm we called to see what happened.

We got an answering machine saying that everything had been canceled.

The truth is that we did not know what to do ", recalls Ana. The registry showed signs of life on July 13:" We insist that everything would be on time because the date was October 17.

They said yes.

And we had the file ready at the beginning of September, it seemed that everything was going to go well, although we also had to modify the distribution of the guests at the tables because it was lowered from ten to six due to the regulations ”.

Links postponed to 2021 or in two stages due to the coronavirus

In mid-September, the couple agreed with the salon a second date for what might happen.

Everything was ready - including the bus for 30 of the 70 guests - when the infections began to grow in Catalonia.

However, they did not lose hope until the end: “We have had no choice but to go to plan B and we will get married on the second date, in April of next year.

Well ... we hope to achieve it ”, he ironizes, after having overcome his disgust.

Ana and Oriol's wedding is not the only one that they have canceled at Turó del Sol, where they were going to celebrate the ceremony and the treat.

"This year has been one of cancellations.

Today [for Friday] we have canceled one and for the last weekend of October there were others that have also been canceled.

Many have moved to 2021 directly and there are couples who have canceled twice this year: once, in the spring and now.

A disaster, ”explains Daniel Conesa, the head of the company who was engaged in reaching agreements with suppliers.

The case of Beth Lolo and Nacho Galobart is different: they have decided to hold the ceremony this Saturday at the Sant Cugat monastery and postpone the invitation to November 21.

“We put up with canceling the meal until the last minute, until the decree was published at midnight on Thursday.

We both agreed to fight to the end, ”explains Beth.

The date had already been set since last year and they could never imagine what was going to happen 48 hours after their link.

"The truth is that several friends have had to cancel their weddings this year," she says.

Wedding halls agree that this year has been 'disastrous'

Of the initially 222 guests, 156 confirmed and in the last week ten gave up due to fear of the covid, specifically.

They had everything ready and the cars filled with the details for the tables, ready to take them to the restaurant.

With the disgust of life, on Thursday night they sent a WhatsApp message to all the guests telling them that the religious ceremony was being maintained but that they had no choice but to postpone the invitation for a month.

Overcome frustration, try to see the glass rather full: “Let's look at the positive, we are going to get married twice.

It is like a wedding in two stages.

And I will wear the wedding dress twice ”.