The Omicron COVID-19 variant hasn’t yet made much of an impact in Saskatchewan, but some in the province are still feeling the stress caused by the new strain of the virus.
Uncertainty over travel restrictions from the new variant has led a Regina couple to postpone their wedding in Mexico.
Rob Noble and his fiancee Lindsay planned to get married in the tropical destination in February.
However, with travel rules changing often and the federal government advising against leaving the country, they felt they had to pull the plug.
“It’s not really responsible for us to ask our 35 or 40 guests to make that trip with us with some of the implications that, if it gets worse in a month’s time … a lot of things can happen in that time period,” Noble said.
He didn’t expect to go through the winter without tying the knot with the woman he loves.
“We booked it in August of this year. Honestly, at that time, I thought COVID was going to be in the rear view a little bit, so we felt fairly confident,” he said.
“It’s disappointing for sure. There’s a bit of stress that comes, and frustration. We were quite excited to do it, and we get put in a hard spot.”
Still, he said he understands that we live in strange times.
“But we needed to do what was right for our guests. You can’t wait. The longer we wait (and) the closer we get to the actual date … it gets more difficult to reschedule it. They take more of your deposit, and all of those things factor in as well,” Noble explained.
They’re still dreaming of a romantic, tropical wedding. Since it isn’t in the cards this year, they’ll try their best to make it happen next winter.
“(We’ll) kind of play it by ear. We’re already looking at Jan. 3, 2023 is what we’re kind of thinking … We’re just trying to find a time that works best, but we have to play it by ear,” Noble said.
“That’s the kind of world we live in.”