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Fri, Nov 22, 2024 | Jumada al-Awwal 20, 1446 | DXB
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Dubai couple sets wedding date as Covid rules are revised
Supplied photos
Dubai - The two families – with all members vaccinated - have now finalized the dates.
- By
- Saman Haziq
New year started on a high note for Dubai resident Amira Rafi, 24, who was gearing up to get married in the first half of this year.
Important Dubai announcement: Bars to reopen, weddings, events to resume; guests, staff must be vaccinated against Covid-19
But everything came to a standstill, when Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management issued a new mandate for gatherings, effective from January 27, 2021, that stated that a maximum of 10 people would be allowed to gather for social events including weddings, and private parties, and attendees must be limited to first-degree relatives.
The mandate applied for gatherings at a hotel or at a home.
Also read: Couple marry in hospital ward
“The news, when it came in January, poured cold water over our wedding plans as we were planning to invite around 100 family and friends, with some even planning to fly down from our home city Mumbai, India. Everything went haywire, my wedding dress that was to come from India was stuck due to the lockdown, we couldn’t give out wedding cards as we were not sure of when things will open up.
Every hotel we called turned us down saying we cannot take bookings until things were clear and we were told there was no chance that restrictions on wedding guests would ease by May end.
Read on: 5 events, activities open to only vaccinated residents in Dubai
Somehow the whole excitement of getting married died down as we finally planned to get married simply by May end with just family members around (capping the family members also to 10). And today when I heard this news that wedding receptions and social events have been permitted to resume and that attendance at weddings is capped at 100 for wedding venues/hotels, my happiness knew no bounds,” Amira told Khaleej Times.
Amira said the news brightened up her day and she said she felt her earnest prayers during the holy month of Ramadan were answered.
“Both the households – mine and that of my fiancé Hamdan’s folks - were so low throughout this whole time as many told us this suspension of guests at marriage is indefinite. There was just no certainty. But I'm glad Almighty Allah opened all doors for us after this blessed month of Ramadan and I can now look forward to celebrating the most important day of my life in a memorable way.”
The two families – with all members vaccinated - have now finalized the dates and are looking forward to having their families and friends – all vaccinated – grace the occasion.
“Both our families are so excited and we have begun the wedding preparations that decorating our houses, getting gifts for each other’s family, and packing them in a fancy way. My wedding dress has also arrived from India (my tailor informed) and everyone is just so excited about the wedding, especially my friends who can now be part of my wedding,” Amira said.
“We are so glad that the government has made it mandatory for all guests and staff to be vaccinated as this will reassure us that we are safe and so are our guests. This also gives us a chance to encourage all our family and friends to take their vaccination jabs so we all can be safe and enjoy at the wedding,” Amira’s fiancé Hamdan Iqbal said.
“Instead of writing Mr and Mrs on the wedding cards, I am now thinking of writing ‘only vaccinated members of the family invited’,” Amira said laughingly.
saman@khaleejtimes.com
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