Why not to tying the knot?

The province is experiencing a matrimonial boom as couples who delayed their nuptials due to Covid are rushing to get married, writes Herb Payne

The mountains, dales, beaches and game reserves are echoing with the sounds of bells as KwaZulu-Natal — a top wedding destination both domestically and internationally — experiences a postCovid matrimonial boom.

April to July is the peak wedding season in the province, but this year the impact of Covid has added impetus to the number of weddings taking place.

That is according to Durban-based Oh Happy Day wedding planner, Joelene Botha, who says people are now making up for the host of wedding celebrations cancelled or postponed because of the pandemic.

“It was a chaotic period. I had to postpone, cancel and change more than 40 weddings because of the coronavirus. It must have been a challenge for people who didn’t have planners to help them because of the constantly changing situation. I planned and replanned some weddings five times.”

There were those people who went ahead and had minimalist weddings comprising just the bridal pair, and others who had successful online wedding celebrations. Others chose to wait and are now celebrating their nuptials.

Naturally, a marriage and a wedding are two different things — people can get married in a church or registry office and then the wedding can take place later.

Many couples who have held back are now choosing to proceed with their wedding plans, according to both Botha and Kate Bain, who runs the Wedding Company SA.

Botha says it can take up to two years to plan some weddings, though she has also helped stage successful events in just a

couple of months. Planners, she says, really come into their own when disaster strikes. Costs can easily mount and venue is always a major decision for the couple.

“The biggest challenge at the outset is to manage expectations. People have little idea of the costs involved — because they only get married once in their lives — so we start by drafting a budget with estimated costs for all the elements, including the dress, venue, food and refreshments based on the various options and décor. It is then up to the couple to decide. The choice of venue is the first — and many say hardest — part of the decision-making process.”

Some opt for a few friends on the beach, but others go for luxury resorts and hotels and are spoilt for choice with a cluster of these around Durban and Umhlanga.

One of these is the luxurious Radisson Blu Hotel in Umhlanga, which offers 206 stylish rooms, a versatile meeting and events space, and an on-site restaurant, Firelake. It says the large conference centre can be adapted for weddings, which it sees as a major drawcard. The hotel, just down the road from Gateway shopping centre, opened its doors in June.