[Explanation] October is the "high season" for weddings, but in the face of the global pandemic in 2020, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government strictly regulates weddings and wedding banquets and other gatherings of high-risk groups. The “Order” measures indicate that the wedding cannot be more than 20 people.
A Hong Kong wedding consultant frankly said that the measures have greatly reduced the wedding business this year, and more than 80% of the weddings were rescheduled as a result, even if the wedding couples choose to keep everything simple.
[Concurrent] Ou Huifang, Wedding Consultant
There have been many changes in (wedding) under the epidemic. The first is that the model has shrunk a lot. Even if many people are invited to the banquet, others will not necessarily come. Therefore, the (wedding scale) will be reduced by at least two-thirds. For the wedding ceremony, because the outdoor wedding air will be very fresh, there must be a (social) distance of 1.5 meters.
[Explanation] At a time when everyone pays attention to personal hygiene and epidemic prevention, Ou Huifang, as a wedding consultant, also prepares a number of epidemic prevention measures for the wedding.
The "restricted gathering order" prevents most relatives and friends from coming to the scene to give blessings. For this reason, the newlyweds will rack their brains to add various new elements to the wedding so that every relative and friend can participate.
[Concurrent] Ou Huifang, Wedding Consultant
Under the epidemic, we, as wedding consultants, have prepared a lot of epidemic prevention measures. First of all, relatives and friends who come to attend the (wedding banquet) we all need them to fill in the health declaration form, take their body temperature at the entrance, and we have prepared a lot of hand sanitizers Or spray, even masks, we have prepared a lot of backup.
There is also an emerging trend to broadcast weddings live on TV.
We even have an online tea ceremony. For example, if grandma is in Canada, we will ask a couple to kneel down in Hong Kong, and then serve tea with both hands in front of the fluorescent screen. Grandma can see the cup of tea and prepare it for herself in Canada. That cup of tea, and then (grandma) drink the tea she prepared. After drinking the tea, grandma can say blessings to the couple, wishing them a hundred years of being together forever, so the distance can be very far or very close.
[Explanation] Hong Kong weddings generally have three steps. The first step is to pick up the bride, the second step is to register, and the third step is to banquet guests.
Ou Huifang said that most of the weddings now only have the first two parts, but believes that as long as the heart remains unchanged, simple weddings can be full of happiness.
[Concurrent] Ou Huifang, Wedding Consultant
2020 is a double spring and a leap month. In fact, it is a very good year (marriage). Weddings are important, but safety first. If the situation improves under the control of the epidemic, of course we hope that the gathering restrictions can be relaxed.
All in all, it is actually a good solution to retain the Chinese ceremony this year, retain the registration, and hold the wine (wedding banquet) next year.
Reporter Zhu Aili from Hong Kong
Editor in charge: [Tao Guangxiong]