Following the coronavirus outbreak that has reached over 22 countries throughout the world and infected thousands, a Singapore couple opted against attending their own wedding in person after returning from China just days before. Instead, they joined their guests via live stream.

Joseph Yew and Kang Ting spent a week in China’s Hunan province visiting Ting’s family for Chinese new year, and arrived back home just three days before their wedding, scheduled to be held at a hotel in central Singapore in early February. The pair had already tied the knot in China in October 2019, and this second wedding was to be a grand banquet for all those that couldn’t attend the first wedding. Many of their guests expressed concerns over attending the wedding as a result of the coronavirus threat.

Many visitors returning from China have been warned to take precautions as the disease is easily spread.

“Some of them said they were not coming,” Mr. Yew told the BBC. “We wanted to postpone the wedding but the hotel was not willing to. They said everything had been arranged and it was non-negotiable. So we felt like we had no choice but to proceed with the wedding.”

Thinking outside of the box, this couple decided to go ahead with the wedding, except they wouldn’t be there. Instead, they would live stream into the venue from a different room in the same hotel the wedding was being held. They made toasts and speeches completely over the video call.

“We thanked the guests for coming and told them to enjoy the dinner,” said Mr Yew.

While it was not the wedding they wanted, the couple were still able to enjoy it.

“We were not sad but a bit disappointed,” said Mr Yew of his wedding. “I think there were no other option so [I have] no regrets.”

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