Honeymoons at home now

No travel abroad, no big fat parties. Newly married couples are enjoying conjugal bliss in familiar settings

Couples who got married during the lockdown are spending their honeymoons at home. Unable to fly abroad, some are booking rooms at hotels within the city.

Vikram Sinhji and Siyola D’Cunha, both working in the airline industry, had just three hours to rush and formalise their wedding.

“We had planned a registered marriage. We will have a get together with family once situation clears up,” Vikram says.

The couple tried many times to go to the registrar’s office, but ran into hurdles. Finally, when they heard the office would be open one morning, they ran in jeans and T-shirt to get the formality done.

Siyola says, “We had already rented an apartment before the lockdown, so our home was ready. Our honeymoon is just us spending time and setting up the house.”

The couple had planned a Greece honeymoon, but with the ban on international travel, they are wondering if they should go to Udaipur.

“Meanwhile, we are setting up candlelight dinners and barbecue parties at home,” Siyola says.

Home service

Tarini Kumar and Raashid Navlakhi, who got married in June, had to cancel their honeymoon trip to Peru. Their big fat wedding became an intimate one. “My husband’s parents have a home that’s not being used. We turned that into a honeymoon pad,” she says. Friends and family sent across food so they didn’t have to worry too much about it. “It was pretty much like any other honeymoon but without the travel and the fancy pampering,” she says.

Love in quarantine

Rohit J Menon and Gautami Kaimal got married this Wednesday in Kerala. Their wedding had originally been planned for April.

“We were supposed to go to the Andamans right after the wedding. We are hoping to travel in October if all goes well,” Rohit says. Meanwhile, the couple will return to Bengaluru after their wedding in Kerala and remain quarantined for a week.

“That’s going to be our honeymoon,” Rohit says, laughing. “We resume work and save up on the leaves for later.”

Romance at the hotels

Given the travel restrictions, couples are booking rooms at Bengaluru five-star hotels to celebrate their honeymoon.

ITC Gardenia is pampering them with rooms with balconies.

Alcohol is not served. Spas and swimming pools are not open. Couples typically stay for a day or two.

At The Oberoi, couples are greeted with cake and bouquet. The staff will decorate a bath with rose petals for the bride on request.

The couple can relax by the pool but not get into the water. No alcohol.

The Ritz-Carlton sets up a pool-side candlelight dinner, with a butler in attendance. The bedrooms are decorated with towel art and flowers. Aphrodisiac food is served on request. Most couples are coming in for a weekend stay.