Jyotika Bedi: Getting married during a pandemic

We spoke to the stunning bride Jyotika Bedi who got married this summer in an intimate ceremony wearing the Malika Dress with the Malika Red Dupatta. Jyotika speaks about her journey as a bride during the pandemic and how she went from planning the big fat Indian wedding to the small intimate ceremony.

1. What were your initial thoughts when you heard about your wedding being impacted by the pandemic?

When COVID initially hit, the thought of not getting the wedding we had been planning for a year was disheartening. One thing my fiancé and I knew for sure was, rain or shine, the wedding was happening. We would let time decide the details as the situation continued to unravel.

2. How was it working with your vendors?

I have to say the GTA vendors were great. We were all in this together, no one had survived a pandemic before, so it was a mutual learning experience. The vendors tried their best to be as accommodating as possible.

3. What significant changes did you make to ensure it met the governments policies?

It was hard to plan as the situation kept changing every few weeks. For that reason, we did not start planning the itinerary for the wedding until 3 weeks prior to the big day!  We reduced our guest count to 50, even though 100 were allowed by the time our wedding day came, it was a lot easier to maintain safety precautions with 50 guests. For those guests who could no longer attend, a live stream allowed them to join us virtually. For the pre-events time slots for guests was a great way to have our loved ones there without a large crowd. Hand sanitizers became tokens of appreciation and air hugs became a norm. Nonetheless, my fiancé and I would not have it any other way, we really enjoyed the small intimate wedding.

4. Having a beautiful intimate wedding, do you feel you missed out on anything compared to the big wedding you were going to have?

Absolutely not! I 100% recommend an intimate wedding compared to a big wedding. My fiancé and I both felt that we would not have been able to enjoy our wedding as much as we did if it was a big wedding. There is just an overflow of love and emotions when only the close family is there celebrating with you. Everyone got to be themselves and it was very heart-warming.

5. Do you think intimate weddings is now the way forward and this allows brides to spend more on their decor and outfit?

I hope intimate weddings do not go away, rather become the norm even after a vaccine is found for COVID. They are just so beautiful and special. I think a smaller guest count allows the brides to spend more on quality items. Whether it is decor or outfits, you can have more fun with them. It also gives the brides an opportunity to save from a bunch of additional costs that are no longer required.

6. What are your tips for brides planning or going ahead with their ceremonies during this pandemic?

Enjoy each moment of the pre-events and the ceremony. Plans will need changes because the situation is so unpredictable. You may have to change your plans a few days before the big event and that is totally okay! My one advice would be, just be open to changes, let things take their natural course while you try your best to enjoy and savour the moments. Remember, you only get one wedding, so do not forget to enjoy it amongst all the chaos.

MU @ambermak_makeup

Hair @bellaflair.jb

Photography @photokich