Love in the time of Coronavirus

Coronavirus has changed the way we live in a matter of weeks. Our bustling, busy lives have been replaced by a slow tune. Whilst we’re social distancing, some of us might find that we have the time to reconnect with our families and loved ones, and build bonds stronger than ever.

Our time spent social distancing gives us plenty of time to consider what is truly important. Family, friends, workmates– we miss them! When this period is all over, we won’t take the simple things like a hug, a walk in the park, or a beer at the pub, for granted.

While we’re living in times of uncertainty, one thing remains true–love conquers all. Times like this bring life affirming moments where people realise what they value. For some, this means making it official, and getting engaged. A quarantine can certainly be a challenging environment in which one can propose, but a determined few have certainly found a way to be creative and romantic!

In the very early stages of our lockdown here in London, our customer decided to just go for it and proposed to his girlfriend on day one. A wonderful note to start quarantining on, and now the couple have plenty of time together to plan the wedding. As Kathryn states in her Instagram caption, Josh had a “colossal overreaction to day 1 of quarantine with me”. We wish the couple the very best for the future!

Another customer of ours based in New York decided to propose on a walk in the park before full lockdown was enforced. After the successful proposal, he messaged our design consultant, Carol, to thank her for delivering a beautiful ring!

Also based in New York, this customer proposed to his girlfriend in the comfort of their own home. Faced with no other option than to create a romantic environment in the middle of their flat, he made a candlelit dinner for her in their kitchen. After presenting her with the classic rose gold princess cut diamond engagement ring, she was sure not to be looking at anything else!

Our customer, Oli, had originally planned to propose in France, but found that the travel ban cancelled his romantic holiday. Not to be deterred, he still found a way to surprise his girlfriend, Emma. He brought her back to the place that they met five years ago, and asked her to marry him!

With 20% of the world’s population in lockdown or social distancing, it isn’t an ideal time to throw a party. However, some couples just couldn’t wait to get married and decided to have a wedding anyway. Although the coronavirus might have had a sobering effect on the event for some, there’s no denying that it’s a profound time to be celebrating love and family.

As group events have been encouraged to be cancelled across the world, the last few planned weddings went ahead with smaller numbers, some even opting to go digital for their weddings. This couple decided to live stream their wedding, after planning for eighteen months and not wanting to delay the wedding any further. They decided to hold the service a month early at St Matthews church in Walsall and live streamed the event to around 100 guests via facebook. The only guests there were the bride’s housemates.

In Chicago, the looming coronavirus lockdown encouraged student Eliana Amrami and her boyfriend, Elliot Birn, to do some quick thinking. The couple had planned to marry at the Chicago Hilton on the 29th of March, but the governor of Illinois announced that all large events must be postponed until May. Eliana decided she couldn’t wait until then, as she and her boyfriend were Orthodox Jews and were dying to live together. After spending a night agonising over the decision, they decided to have a backyard wedding on Zoom. The Rabbi agreed to marry them, as long as the wedding was outdoors!

Planning a proposal and wedding is an emotional process, a lot of time is spent planning perfect moments. The coronavirus has completely thrown many couple’s plans up in the air, leading to some disappointment but a unique moment to create a truly special memory. In this current time, it’s more important than ever to hold your loved ones close and remind them of how you feel. What better way to do that then through an intimate proposal in your home– it’s a story you’ll never forget, bringing great joy to an otherwise uncertain time!