The wedding of Hoang Nguyen and Thuy Trang, was attended by one person, Minh Thu, the groom's sister (Photo courtesy of Thu)

Vo Hoang Nguyen and Le Thuy Trang was supposed to have their marriage ceremony take place on June 5 with 300 attendees. But due to the pandemic resurgence in Saigon, they decided to conduct an online Covid-19 wedding.

Groom Hoang Nguyen, 28, said: "We’ve been waiting for this day for very long. The outbreak is something everyone wants to end, but love cannot wait."

He added the wedding had been planned two months prior. Accordingly, the groom's family would return from Central Highlands province of Dak Nong to the bride's house in southern Vung Tau Town, ahead of the June 5 ceremony.

Close to the wedding day, however, Covid-19 re-emerged in Saigon, prompting local authorities to impose preventative measures.

Trang, the bride, a nurse at Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital in District 5, commented: "Due to the nature of my work, I am surrounded by patients and medical staff at high risk of contracting Covid-19. Therefore, I wanted to minimize the gathering of large crowds to avoid infection."

Watching the Covid-19 situation grow more complicated, the couple grew very worried. Deciding against postponement, they prepared wedding rings, donned traditional ao dai and invited relatives to attend an online ceremony, witnessed by Minh Thu, Nguyen's younger sister.

The trio prepared by cleaning and decorating the house, and making traditional wedding cakes and sweets.

They even created their own wedding font by ordering cutouts from stores strung along the wall. After five hours, the words "song hi" (meaning double happiness), the names of the bride and groom, and the wedding date were are neatly set up.

Minh Thu bought flowers, arranged them herself, and assisted the bride with her makeup, despite her inexperience.

At 7 a.m., Nguyen, already wearing his groom outfit, was eager to welcome the bride. "Let's return to our room, dear," the IT engineer joked, making the three burst into laughter.

The bridal procession downstairs took place in five minutes.

"Their families feel sorry for them, so they merely watched in silence. Everyone will meet up again once the pandemic is under control," Thu said.

The ceremony did not occur without some hiccups, an unstable connection regularly interrupting proceedings.

When the two exchanged rings, due to nerves, the groom placed the wrong hand on the bride's, to everyone’s mirth.

Minh Nguyet, the groom's mother, encouraged her son: "I just want the two of you to be side by side for the rest of your life. Wedding ceremonies, whether big or small, all carry the same meaning."

The wedding ended after the exchange of rings and a video call with both families.