Annet was set to marry her fiancée this year in a grand ceremony. It was a day she had dreamt of for so long and she wanted nothing but perfection. Fate, as it turns out, had other plans. 

When the pandemic hit, all of these plans eventually had to change, drastically.  

She wanted a big ceremony where family and friends would join them in celebration, but this wasn’t going to be possible since weddings, along with other big gatherings, had super tight restrictions.  

And as hard as it was, the couple decided to put their plans on hold until it was safe and possible for them to have their dream wedding.

When the pandemic hit earlier this year, a lot of things changed, including how weddings are organised. For the most part, due to restrictions and a ban on social gatherings, most couples had to postpone or cancel their big day altogether.

For those who were lucky to go through with their plans, most of them had to go with small intimate affairs, rather than the usual lavish celebrations. 

Chantal Ingabire, owner of a décor business, says the wedding industry has faced big changes as a result of the pandemic. "Most couples have had to cancel and even those who went on to get married organised small ceremonies as a way of abiding with the Covid-19 measures in place.”

This, she says, had a significant impact on those operating in this line of business.

"We received very few customers this year, and even with the few that sought our services, the charges were low because of the financial burden that was brought on by the pandemic,” she says. 

She observes that the pandemic also cut on other customary celebrations that precede the wedding, for example, bridal showers and wedding launches.

For some, the changes were not entirely bad. Take Doris Uwamahoro, for example, who always wanted a small ceremony that would quietly and peacefully mark the beginning of her marital bliss. That’s why she wasn’t disappointed when changes happened to her big day. 

She had to cut down on her guest list, change the date and venue of her wedding, but this, she says, was more like a blessing in disguise for her. 

"The pandemic has been hard on us but if we look on the bright side, it has somehow simplified things. Weddings, for example, have now become less complicated; couples are spending less than they had initially budgeted for and it’s a good thing,” she says.

Paul Hirwa also observes that the biggest change caused by the pandemic is the new minimalist approach that people have embraced towards wedding planning. 

"Couples have scaled down and are mainly spending on the things that are of real value and importance to their day. This wasn’t the case before the pandemic and I hope it stays like this,” he says.

"The wedding is a big day and it carries a lot of significance in a person’s life. However, overspending doesn’t really bring much sense, especially if you are going out of your means. The pandemic, therefore, has been more of a wakeup call for so many, understanding that they can have their dream wedding with even a sizeable budget,” Hirwa notes. 

He also adds that this year has seen many couples wed from their respective countries since there were travel restrictions the world over.

"The same goes for honeymoons; very few people had the luxury of going abroad for honeymoon, and even then this was after travel was restricted. Most couples who had a chance to tie the knot this year mostly had the option of spending their honeymoon in the country, something that promoted domestic tourism,” he adds.