The hall was nearly empty, the tables lay bare but for white linen covers. A masked man sprayed the floor with disinfectant while a lone saxophonist practised his tunes.
Welcome to Yonatan and Roni's wedding.
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Roni Ben-Ari and Yonatan Meushar dance as they get married at Ein Hemed Forest Wedding Venue
(Photo: Reuters)
The coronavirus outbreak has disrupted life for millions of people around the world, and weddings have been among the many casualties of lockdowns, self-isolation and official bans on large public gatherings.
But this Israeli couple were not going to let that get in the way of their big day.
In Ein Hemed National Park, a short drive from Jerusalem, the bride and groom embraced, exchanged vows and danced cheek to cheek. The only difference was, there were barely any guests there to witness their nuptials.
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An employee sanitises the chuppah before Roni Ben-Ari and Yonatan Meushar get married at Ein Hemed Forest Wedding Venue, March 18, 2020
(Photo: Reuters)
"It is different than what we had imagined ... but it's perfect, I think," said bride Roni Ben-Ari, 26, turning to the groom and laughing.
"It's a different and unique way [to get married]," added Yonatan Meushar, 36, also speaking in Hebrew. "But we are getting used to the situation."
A handful of close relatives attended, and other "guests" participated virtually via the Zoom app.
As Israel moves closer to lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, most events, including weddings and other celebrations, have been cancelled.
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A woman uses an app to share the wedding of Roni Ben-Ari and Yonatan Meushar at Ein Hemed Forest Wedding Venue, March 18, 2020
(Photo: Reuters)
So Itamar Yakutieli, manager of the Ein Hemed Forest Wedding Venue, launched a special service offering free, small-scale weddings for young couples whose weddings cannot take place as planned.
Ben-Ari and Meushar, from Kibbutz Kalya, a settlement near the Dead Sea in the West Bank, had planned to get married last Thursday but had to cancel after Israel limited indoor gatherings to 100 people the night before.
They had been expecting some 260 guests.
Then the couple heard about Yakutieli's initiative.
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Roni Ben-Ari and Yonatan Meushar embrace as they get married at Ein Hemed Forest Wedding Venue, March 18, 2020
(Photo: Reuters)
"Our diary is empty, the dance floors are empty," he told Reuters. "In order to fight the coronavirus epidemic we decided to launch a Jewish marriage ceremony operation which are broadcast online."
Israel has reported 705 confirmed coronavirus cases. No fatalities from the related disease have been reported in Israel or in the Palestinian territories to date.