No. We are not suggesting you break the rules. That is unsafe, insensitive and, not to mention, illegal. After more than a year of waiting for COVID-19 to disappear, we don’t seem anywhere closer to this reality. There’s only so long you can put off your destination wedding in Goa.
Picture Credits - Studio RDP
If you’ve got a guest list you just can’t seem to cut, our advice is to opt for a split celebration. This is often the case during inter-religious weddings when both ceremonies are performed. But if you cross it over to destination weddings in Goa during COVID-19, you’ll be able to have all the friends you wanted without any worry of overshooting the numbers.
HOW DOES IT WORK
Divide your guest list by the number of celebrations, parties or events you want to have. These guests attend only that event and may be offered a link to virtually attend the others if you like. Ensure the physical attendance for each maintains the prevailing group restrictions where the event is being held. So for a guest list of 150 in an area where the cap is 50, you can have three events.
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Remember, your guest list doesn’t have to be equally divided. You could choose to have four events and spread them out further.
Picture Credits - Studio Grey Photography
HOW TO SPLIT YOUR GUEST LIST
Simply drawing divisions blindly on a spreadsheet won’t work. You can divide your guest list according to social circle and age, and tailor the celebration around that. Older relatives will usually be more than happy with high tea or brunch, where they can sit around, chat with you and listen to music from their generation. You can also ask couples with very young children to a celebration like this as the music is not too loud for babies.
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Picture Credits - DJ Wency
Close friends and cousins your age can be part of a more lively party such as a sangeet - DJ, dancing, strobe lights, cocktails, canapes, entertainers, the works. A garden party outdoors is great for those with slightly older children, while an elegant dinner works well for friends of your parents, bosses and more distant relatives.
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WHY HOST YOUR SPLIT DESTINATION WEDDING IN GOA
Because a) the place is gorgeous all year round, and b) your guests can turn your destination wedding in Goa into a mini vacation.
Goa offers a wide variety of spaces catering to all kinds of events, and they’re in close reach. Most five-star wedding hotels in Goa offer flexible event spaces that make hosting split ceremonies easy. They’ll also be happy to arrange excursions, picnics, trips and tours so guests can enjoy themselves during the events they are not invited to attend.
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Split wedding ceremonies allow you to spend quality time with your guests without forcing them to be part of a celebration that might not be to their liking - your frail old uncle struggling through an evening of loud, ‘modern’ music.
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Picture Credits - DJ Raghu
Note: Remember to follow safety and hygiene protocol at all times. A good wedding planner can help you organise a memorable but safe event.