WHEN Newcastle radio announcer Jess Farchione became engaged to her publican partner Angus Harper in January last year, the threat of a pandemic was hardly on the couple's radar.
"We began looking at venues in March and there was a whisper about a virus but it was not what it became," says Farchione, who moved from her native Melbourne to the Hunter three years ago.
Things quickly changed.
"We wanted to have engagement party in Melbourne and that was cancelled, and our venue never gave our money back, then we were going to have it at (Newcastle's) Argyle House then that got cancelled," says the HIT106.9FM breakfast slot announcer. "I couldn't ask my bridesmaids to be my bridesmaids in person and celebrate with them."
Farchione and Harper, co-owner of The Greenroof in Hamilton who assists with This That festival, booked Redleaf Wollombi as their venue then held their breath.
"My co-host Ducko[Nick Allen-Ducat) was meant to get married last year and his got cancelled, we were watching people have their weddings decimated," she says. "My mum called me when borders were closed saying, 'You are not going to have it without us are you?'"
The Newcastle couple's plans to wed on April 10 remain in tact and both welcomed the latest NSW government announcement on Wednesday which removes any cap on the number of guests at a wedding, or a funeral. Singing and dancing is now allowed, however the "one in two-square metre" rule will apply.
Beyond the relief of being able to wed, Farchione says the removal of the dancing restrictions was, well, the icing on her wedding cake.
"It was the last hurdle for us because we love a party," she laughs. "Angus has built the whole wedding culminating in dancing, we've got the best AV, the best DJs, we're curating playlists, talking about getting pyro and fireworks. and we were like, "If only 20 can dance at one time, that's redundant!'"
Farchione, who "met" Harper on Instagram before they hit it off at The Greenroof after a Knights game, has her hen's night on Saturday and can't wait to share her day with 170 guests.
"Angus and I have been taking dance lessons, we have a choreographed routine!" she laughed.
Celebrant Julie Muir said it had been a "confusing time" for couples planning nuptials amid the changing guidelines however the latest easing of restrictions was a win: "It will benefit the industry as a whole but specifically the DJs, entertainers, furniture hire companies, photo booth and neon rentals...it's come at a good time too with JobKeeper ending and could be just the boost the industry needs to recover."
