Mahum Afraz has rescheduled her wedding celebrations several times, including cancelling a large reception booked for this weekend that would have seen her extended family gather together.
She’s among thousands of brides who have postponed wedding celebrations due to international border closures and coronavirus restrictions on dancing and attendee numbers.
Mahum and her partner Usman Ashraf, who are both doctors, instead opted for an Islamic wedding, or nikah, in April, in which they signed the marriage contracts at their home in Sydney’s north-west.
The 20-minute ceremony was held under strict COVID-19 restrictions, led by an Imam and attended by only immediate family. It wasn't the big Pakistani-style wedding Mahum had dreamed of.
“It was a small, religious ceremony, a little bit different to what we'd planned,” the 26-year-old told SBS News.
Mahum Afraz and Usman Ashraf at their small wedding ceremony. Source: Supplied
Mahum was born in Karachi in Pakistan and moved with her family to the United States and New Zealand before coming to Australia in 2006. Usman is also originally from Pakistan.
“A grand Pakistani wedding is really extravagant. We both wanted all the singing and dancing that’s traditional, colourful, and full of life. It just wasn't possible,” Mahum said.
“Usman has a very large extended family overseas. They are in the USA, UK and Pakistan, and so were not able to attend."
Mahum is now pinning her hopes on international borders re-opening in early 2021.
“We have rescheduled the reception for April next year when we hope to have the full of life extravagant Pakistani wedding we originally envisioned,” she said.
Traditionally, Pakistani weddings continue for several days and the couple has already paid deposits for venues including a large reception for hundreds of guests at a waterfront function room in Sydney.
“We paid around $20,000 in deposits but they've all been transferred across, so I'm very lucky. I know some other couples aren't as lucky.”
It’s a familiar story for Nita Tanna who specialises in South Asian weddings and functions through her business Décor-A-Shaan, based in Sydney's west.
“Normally in spring, we would do about 30 to 50 events in a month which has now narrowed down to hardly five to seven in a month. So it is a big change,” she said.
Nita was born in India and after migrating to Australia worked in finance until founding her wedding and events business in 2007.
South Asian weddings have a reputation as some of the largest and colourful in the industry. As a result, Nita says international border closures have forced many couples with family overseas to postpone celebrations.
“The Indian and the South Asian weddings are all about families. They are all about overseas visitors. And the travel restrictions have really thrown the weddings out,” she said.
Nita Tanna's wedding business has slowed during the pandemic. Source: SBS
NSW Health still requires social distancing at weddings and restrictions remain on singing and musical performances. The bridal party is now allowed to dance together under new COVID-19 safety rules.
In Melbourne, weddings are limited to five attendees.
But with some restrictions easing - such as in Queensland where restrictions on the number of people allowed on a dancefloor will be lifted on 1 December - Nita says she has been hearing from couples wanting to re-schedule, and not just for weekends.
“Couples are opting for weekday weddings. So instead of waiting for Friday, Saturday or Sunday, I've had confirmed bookings for Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays,” she said.
For those unable to wait for international borders to re-open, some couples are turning to live-streaming their big day.
South Asian weddings are among the most lavish and colourful. Source: Decor-A-Shaan
“Even though it's a small wedding of 20 people, they're having a live broadcast so that their family can see it worldwide. They are doing everything they would do for a 300-person wedding reception, and all the families are watching. So they are quite happy that way,” Nita said.
Sydney photographer Tim Engelbrecht has pivoted his business Hello Sweetheart to live-streaming weddings.
“Spring is easily the busiest time of year for the wedding sector. Usually we would be doing three to five weddings each week,” he said. “And now we are doing one, perhaps none. So it’s had a massive impact.”
Wedding photographer Tim Engelbrecht with his wife Mim and new baby. Source: Tim Engelbrecht
He hopes a live-streaming service will give people the confidence to book a different kind of wedding.
But Katie Bloom is among the Sydney wedding florists feeling the impact of cancellations.
"Most florists would probably earn about 80 per cent of their year's income over the next six or eight weeks,” she said. “To have it slump and pretty much come to a halt, it's soul-destroying, really."
“This spring has been a complete nightmare for business because, basically, we don't have that income stream."
Florist Katie Bloom is supplying fewer weddings this season. Source: SBS
“It's very bad for the whole industry. And that makes me feel anxious. I've got three children to pay bills for.”
Mahum is hoping COVID-19 restrictions will ease soon and she'll be able to have the big celebration she's always wanted.
“We hope, fingers crossed, that borders will be open, and we will be able to host our extended family at the really big extravagant event that we planned.”
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