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Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Zizi Sparks: How I'm planning a pandemic wedding

Zizi Sparks
By Zizi Sparks
Multimedia journalist·Rotorua Daily Post·
29 Oct, 2021 09:07 PM3 mins to read

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There are so many couples in the same shoes as we are. Photo / Getty Images

There are so many couples in the same shoes as we are. Photo / Getty Images

OPINION

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm an optimist.

I always believe things will work themselves out and things are for the best. I see the best in people and situations.

But it is becoming harder to maintain positivity around one of the biggest things I'll plan in my lifetime, and that's my wedding.

We got engaged in March this year after much nagging on my part and agreed that we'd aim towards a March 2022 wedding.

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We locked in the big-ticket items like the venue, photographer and catering. It was a time when Covid-19 was seemingly in the rearview mirror and we were full steam ahead. We tactically made a guest list of fewer than 100 just in case we were at alert level 2 and that was the limit for gatherings.

But now Covid has reared its ugly head again. Level 2 rules changed to a maximum of 50 people and the Government has shown it is still willing to lock people down.

While the country is moving towards a higher vaccination rate in the hope that it will allow us more freedom, the uncertainty of what the next six months could hold is scary - and there are far too many moving parts for my liking.

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I'm an organised person and I know there are variables on a wedding day and some things you cannot control. But I would like the day to run smoothly.

It would be my worst nightmare to be ready to be married on a Saturday and plunged into a lockdown that Wednesday. However, it is a risk.

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I also know that a wedding is not the be-all and end-all of a relationship. But to me, it's still an important part of one and a part that I value. I can't wait to marry my best friend.

So we're getting on with the planning because we can't wait for certainty, otherwise nothing would ever come together. We're currently deciding what time we want things to kick off so that we can send official invitations.

Planning a wedding during a global pandemic is nerve-wracking but there are so many other couples in the same position as us.

The Covid-19 environment is so uncertain that it could be some time until we do have a clear idea about what is going on. So we're going to just get on with the job and hope for the best.

At the end of the day, I know the time will come. Whether it is when we initially planned it for or not.

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