A COUPLE in India got married in hazmat suits recently after deciding to go through with their wedding even though the bride had tested positive for COVID-19.

The couple, whose names have not been made public, became husband and wife Sunday in the courtyard of a coronavirus quarantine center in Baran, a district in the Rajasthan state, while wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE) including hazmat suits, face masks and visors.

Although it might not have been the wedding of their dreams, the couple was able to exchange garlands — a traditional Indian wedding ceremony known as varmala— as a priest married them beneath a beautiful canopy.

A local health official named Rajendra Meena said that it was the couple’s only choice after the bride and a few family members had tested positive for the coronavirus earlier that day and were admitted to the center. “We consulted with the families and they agreed to get married in the quarantine center without any elaborate rituals,” he said.

States throughout India have already put restrictions on weddings, which tend to be elaborate affairs, in response to the pandemic. With images of this latest COVID-friendly ceremony making the rounds on social media, couples might just be inspired to ditch their plans for a ballroom wedding and suit up in protective gear.

(SD-Agencies)