Paper short abstract:

Ethnographic evidence from weddings taking place during the Covid pandemic demonstrates that critical times play a significant part in disturbing the status quo, accelerating change, which may already have begun, and causing rituals to change permanently.

Paper long abstract:

The Covid pandemic had a huge impact on Scottish weddings. At worst, government restrictions caused many weddings to be cancelled or postponed, or at best reshaped. At its most severe only five people were allowed to take part in a wedding.

Using ethnographic evidence gathered at the height of the pandemic, this paper describes the impact, both positive and negative of Lockdown restrictions on nine Scottish couples getting or attempting to get married during the pandemic. These couples, as well as thousands more, were forced to create new ways of organising their wedding, conducting the marriage ceremony, and celebrating the reception that followed. Most of the usual components of the wedding ritual, such as dining together, followed by music and dancing - all involving close physical contact – were prohibited. Therefore, weddings became smaller, generally less expensive, and more intimate. These new ways might be termed “crisis rituals”.

As life in Scotland begins to return to “normal” I explore the extent to which these and “crisis rituals” from other life cycle rituals may or may not be incorporated into the new order. In so doing, I show that critical times, such as the pandemic, play a significant part in disturbing the status quo and accelerating change which may already have begun, causing rituals to change permanently.