It's no secret that wedding plans have been vastly affected by the pandemic. Here Lois Tien talks to Tatler about her experience––and how love won out after all
Wedding planning can be stressful at the best of times, but throw a global pandemic into the mix, and well, things don't quite go to plan. Just ask Lois Tien, fashion entrepreneur and founder of SoL, whose European wedding plans have had to be put on hold due to Covid-19. But despite the changes and uncertainty, Lois and her husband-to-be remained positive, opting for a simple signing ceremony in Hong Kong and pressing pause on the larger celebration until next year.
Here, she talks to Tatler about what the experience has taught them as a couple and her as an individual, along with the importance of always counting your blessings and appreciating what is truly important.
See also: How To Plan Your Wedding: Expert Advice From A Top Hong Kong Planner
Tell us a little bit about when you got engaged, and how your wedding planning had played out so far?
We got engaged last January––it happened at home with just the two of us which is exactly what I had wanted. There were flowers, pictures, candles, a bit of tears and a lot of awkward laughs.
I've never thought about weddings much before I got engaged actually so it was great that it was something we could do together from square one. Due to Covid and restrictions on international travel as well as quarantine regulations, we took a pause on wedding planning and opted to go ahead with a simple signing ceremony in Hong Kong with family back in June.
When, and where, was your wedding originally supposed to be and what did you have planned? How many guests were invited?
We had planned to celebrate in Europe this spring with 100 of our family and friends––envisioning a cozy weekend getaway in a warm and coastal countryside, surrounded by nature where we can truly enjoy quality time with the people we love most.
How did you feel when you first knew Covid-19 would affect your plans?
We knew there might be a risk when we started planning but decided to try for it anyways with contingency plans in place so we are quite at peace with the fact that our plans might have to be pushed out indefinitely. With everything that is going on in the world, we feel incredibly blessed to have been able to celebrate at all.
How have your wedding plans now changed?
We've pushed out the celebration to next year (by then it will be more like a 2 year anniversary instead of a wedding!) but we're not holding our breath––who knows where the world will be then? We're staying positive, but also managing expectations.
Do you think this experience has strengthened your relationship?
Definitely––we managed to get engaged, plan a wedding, plan a signing, do the signing and postpone the wedding all within 9 months!
What we learned about each other... total cliche but teamwork makes the dream work. We have quite different skill sets that ended up being very complementary!
What I learned about myself––the importance of keeping a solid perspective.
Do you have any tips or takeaways for others that have gone through similar experiences, or others who are starting to plan a wedding in 2021?
For those who have gone through similar experiences, they might agree with me that the wedding is really the cherry on the sundae. It's great to have but it most certainly does not make or break the relationship.
For others who are starting to plan a wedding––"proceed with caution"––just kidding. But in all seriousness, it comes down to managing your own expectations. I'm sure everyone wants their wedding day to work out exactly how they had imagined, but it is equally important to be adaptable and recognise that certain things are out of our control. Count the blessings you already have––it won't feel like stress when you change your mindset.
If you could, what is the one thing you would say to yourself at the beginning of this?
Actually, there is nothing I would change at all.
See also: Love In The Time of Corona: Max Levy And Izaskun Fontanals' Wedding