Kolkata couples race to tie knot before 3rd wave – Times of India

KOLKATA: With the second wave of Covid-19 on the wane, Kolkata couples who had put their nuptial plans on hold this summer are racing to the altar before a third wave derails their plan again. As the number of cases dip in the city and restrictions imposed on markets and transportation ease, these couples are looking for alternative dates in the coming few weeks to tie the knot. They are in touch with the vendors and venues they had earlier booked to renegotiate the deals.
Pallavi Vasandani and Samay Singhania were to get married on June 4 but had to call off the wedding at the last minute as cases surged. They will now take their vows on July 7. While Samay is fully vaccinated, Pallavi has received her first shot. Most of their guests, too, have received at least the first dose.
“The invitation cards had gone out and we had done our pre-wedding shoot. It was a very difficult decision to cancel the wedding as everything was ready. Even now, many of our close relatives from other cities and countries will not be able to attend but we have decided to go ahead with the wedding as the situation is uncertain and health experts are saying a third wave might hit us anytime,” said Pallavi.
Srijita Roy and Soumik Ganguly of Lake Town were to tie the knot on May 29 but had to call off the ceremony when several members of both their families got infected. They have now decided to get their marriage registered on July 11 and thereafter host a family lunch. A party has tentatively been planned for December.
“Only 24 people from both the families will be attending our wedding. Some have just recovered from Covid while others have been vaccinated. Both of us have also received our first dose. It will be a simple ceremony with registry marriage followed by a family lunch though we would have loved to create more memories on this occasion. A wedding gala is being planned in December,” said Soumik.
Oindrila Bhol and Anshuman Bhattacharya have had to cancel their wedding several times since March 2020 when the country went into a lockdown. They were thinking of tying the knot earlier this year, but the second wave struck. “Now we are trying to go ahead and get married before the third wave hits. I do not want to postpone it further,” said Oindrila.
Shashi Ahluwalia, who is getting married on July 24, cannot have a big fat wedding since the government guidelines permit only 50 guests but has decided not to cut down on ceremonies like mehendi and sangeet. “We will have all the ceremonies but with separate sets of guests so that everybody can come and bless us,” he said.