With the current lockdown in place in South Africa to stop the spread of coronavirus, weddings aren’t the big events we know them to be. As large gatherings are banned, Cape Town film-maker Dan Mace got crafty to make sure the seats at their backyard wedding were still filled without breaking any lockdown rules.
Mace and his fiancée, Gabrielle Esterhuizen, had planned on tying the knot but their wedding was unfortunately cancelled amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Shortly after, Mace contracted COVID-19, meaning the pair had to stay shut inside for weeks as he battled the symptoms. After making a full recovery, Dan still wanted to go through with their wedding, albeit it on a much smaller scale.
He devised a sweet plan to surprise Esterhuizen with an impromptu wedding in their backyard. He made rings out of guitar strings, built an altar and spent all night creating cardboard cutouts of “guests” to witness their wedding. In the morning, he surprised his love.
We spoke to the couple about their wedding that was cancelled and how the ingenious backyard celebration came about.
“Our wedding was planned for 21st March, the same day we found out Dans test result. We were looking forward to our afternoon wedding in Stellenbosch. I think the most special thing was having a day we could share just the 2 of us, we know the bride and groom are usually busy the night so to be able to share this day was incredible. Just to celebrate with all our family and friends in one space,” said Esterhuizen.
Mace explained to us how his idea came about.
“I think the idea came from something that I probably would have chosen to keep more personal between Gabs and I.
“But the reason I decided to create a film about is because the world needs positivity right now and I really wanted to share a positive story about two people in love. It’s something that is relatable.
“With the right idea you can still create the same sensation as a big wedding with lots of people all around. With some creativity and thinking outside the box you can do something that is even more special than a generic wedding. Through utilising creativity and restriction you can make something really awesome.”
Mace continued, “I wanted to showcase ways to be creative during lockdown and I think it combined itself with the question I asked Gabs on camera about how she felt about postponing the wedding. I hadn’t asked her that before and had assumed that it made her bummed. Once I heard her say it though I knew I had to do something about it.”
Take a look at their big day below:
Feature image: video screenshot
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Many couples are facing the disappointment of having to cancel or postpone their weddings due to the coronavirus pandemic. While some are planning to simply wait until the health crisis blows over, others are finding creative ways around the problem.
With the forced cancellation of their wedding, Sharmin Asha and Nazmul Ahmed had to get past the disappointment. They decided they would start playing the popular Nintendo game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. While they played, Ahmed had an idea.
He put together a surprise in-game wedding for his wife-to-be. “Nazmul invited me over to collect resources [on his island] since he had been playing longer than me. As soon as I got there, he was at the airport and there were arrows on the ground. He told me there was some special in-game event, so we followed them,” said Asha to The Washington Post.
As they followed the arrows, Asha collected virtual flowers that Ahmed left for her. At the end of the path she found a beach, where her friends waited with their own Animal Crossing characters.
Ahmed told The Washington Post that the entire thing took him four to five hours to set up. He said that their friends were happy to get on board with his plan, since they already played the game.
Of course, this is not a replacement for the New Jersey couple’s wedding but it has served as a great way to celebrate what would have been their wedding date.
Ahmed and Asha are not the only ones to have celebrated their nuptials this way. A host of other couples have made their way to Animal Crossing too as it serves as a proxy for real-world social interaction.
Image: Twitter / GoNintendoTweet
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One thing that can’t be avoided on your big day? Photos. Besides your official photographer, your guests will definitely be snapping some cute pictures together to remember this special day. So why not give them a beautiful backdrop to do it against?
Maybe you’re having a more ceremonial backyard moment just for you and your partner, or maybe you’re prepping for when you can have the wedding of your dreams. Regardless, these beautiful backdrops will perfectly compliment the day. What makes them even better is that they can be made at home using a few key components, and customised to fit your day.
Feature image: Unsplash
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With the spread of the coronavirus in South Africa and across the world, people are much more conscious about hygiene. Specifically hand hygiene. All we’ve heard from our leaders is for weeks is “wash your hands, don’t touch your face”. This has led to an increase in the use of hand sanitizer.
The hand sanitizer you should be using consists of about 70% alcohol (isopropyl or ethyl) mixed with water, glycerine and fragrance.
You’d think that no harm can come from using proper hand sanitizer. After all, you’re trying to protect yourself from a pandemic. While you’re taking care of yourself, however, be sure to take care of your engagement ring too!
It turns out that hand sanitizer is quite bad for your ring, especially when it’s used excessively (much like we’re all doing these days). According to James Allen, an online diamond and bridal jewellery retailer, contact with cleaners that contain chlorine, bleach, and rubbing alcohol “can break down the brilliance of metals and gems over time”. The last thing you want is for your ring to lose it’s sparkle!
Experts at James Allen also warned of a different way the sanitizer could be ruining your ring. “Extensive hand sanitizer use can also loosen prongs that hold diamonds in place,” they said. This means you’re putting your diamond at risk. It could loosen and fall out without you noticing.
Of course, we don’t want these risks to stop you from practicing good hygiene. Quite the opposite, actually.
All you need to do is remove the ring from your finger each time you sanitize and you should be good to go! Remember to wait until your hand dry’s before placing the ring back on your finger.
If you really want to protect your ring, you could choose to remove it until the coronavirus pandemic passes. Bacteria can make its way into the grooves of your ring. If you don’t plan on cleaning the ring, it may be better to store it away until this all blows over.
It’s not that difficult to clean your ring though! So, if you want to keep wearing it, simply pop it in some warm water with dish washing soap at least once a week! Voila, good hygiene and a ring that remains safe and sound.
Image: Unsplash