One of the earlier weddings that Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas officiated. | Photo Courtesy of Mayor Gullas’ Facebook page
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A good news for Talisay City couples who were supposed to get married earlier this year but had to set aside heir wedding plans because of the pandemic.
Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas announced this morning, July 29, the revival of the city’s “Wednesday Weddings” program starting next month.
Under the program, Gullas said, he will officiate the wedding of a maximum of five couples every Wednesday.
“Dapat mag padayon ang gugma bisan sa panahon sa covid (The expression of love should not be curtailed even with the COVID-19 [threat]). But we must be careful. That’s why we included new and different guidelines from the last,” the mayor said.
To ensure the safety of the couples and other wedding attendees, Gullas said the weddings that he will officiate will now be held at the City Hall garden where there is fresh air and minimal risk of transmission of the coronavirus disease or at the City Hall lobby in case it rains.
Doors and windows at the City Hall building will be opened while he officiates a wedding ceremony at its lobby to allow fresh air to circulate at the venue, he said.
“Starting August, we will start officiating weddings again but with a different set of protocols. First of all, it will be a garden wedding. We will do it late in the afternoon and to be done in the fountain and the garden in front of city hall para open air. It will then be called #GARDENWEDDINGWEDNESDAYS,” said the mayor.
Gullas said he will have the City’s Hall’s garden converted into a “lovers corner” to provide a suitable area for couples to exchange their “I dos.”
However, he warned that health and safety protocols, like the need to observe social distancing, will still be observed during the wedding ceremony.
The required crowd count will also be strictly enforced, the mayor said.
“We will only allow one ninang and one ninong per couple. So, a maximum of 4 people per wedding including the couple,” said Gullas.
Gullas is asking couples to already register at the Mayor’s Office so they can be part of the first batch of weddings that he will officiate on August 5. / dcb