Weddings have become sites of super-spreader events amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, couples and guests continue to ignore safety regulations.
Mikayla and Anthony Bishop had their wedding in October 2020 and almost half of their guests contracted the COVID-19 virus. When Mikayla was walking down the aisle, she immediately noticed that despite her provision and distribution of masks, almost no one was wearing one.
Two weeks after the wedding, 32 of the 83 guests that attended the wedding had tested positive for the virus, including three of the couple’s grandparents. She and her husband, Anthony, also contracted the virus.
“I didn’t think that almost half of our wedding guests were gonna get sick,” Mikayla told the Washington Post. “You’re in the moment. You’re having fun. You don’t think about covid anymore.”
On the venue’s Facebook page, photos of the wedding decorations and safety measures were posted. In the first photo, there is a basketful of hand sanitizer bottles for guests beside a container holding disposable white masks.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Brian Kruse, the recreation director with Blue Ash Parks who oversees the venue where the wedding was held, said the facility had signs indicating guests must wear a mask and are to consume all food and beverages while seated, among other precautions.
On the day of the wedding, it was only the couple’s grandparents who wore masks at all times, yet they tested positive for the virus, and two spent time in the emergency room with severe symptoms.
The couple experienced symptoms on their honeymoon. Soon, they started getting calls about more and more guests testing positive. They decided to tell their story in hopes of warning others against holding large weddings.
“Every single day we’re getting a call. Oh here’s another person. Here’s another person. Here’s another person,” Mikayla said. “And it starts to take a toll on you.”
Pictures: Unsplash/ Facebook (Cooper Creek Event Center)
