KOCHI: The Covid pandemic has transformed everything around us—shopping and socialising to weddings. From ‘big fat’ weddings to “just family” arrangements and virtual weddings, couples are finding creative ways to celebrate. Anjana Santhosh, a bride-to-be, wanted to do away with gaudy wedding cards, and had her eyes on something quirky. So she came up with a wedding card that is Covid-19 themed.
Doodle artist and illustrator Anina Elizabeth Jacob, Anjana’s friend, created an animated version of the invites, drawing the couple with masks on their faces. The idea became an instant hit.“Anjana approached me to design her wedding invite, with a concept she already had in mind. She had even sketched the characters and format,” says Anina.Both the bride and groom are seen wearing face masks, standing apart from each other—the bride on the balcony and groom standing on the ground, a social Covid special twist to the age old romantic set-up. The invite also features the bride and groom in traditional Kerala wedding attire.
“The couple had sent photographs of their wedding attire, which I replicated in the images. Even, the groom is seen holding a garland instead of a ring to convey the message about social distancing,” says Anina.The wedding industry is shifting shape to keep up with the social media-savvy generation and current developments. “I usually get orders for digital invites from the younger generation for their friends, family or co-workers. With Covid-19, since everything has become digital now, the demand for digital invites has also increased,” says Anina.
Having a concept in hand definitely made Anina’s work easy this time. Based on suggestions the brides, she also tries to recreate their memorable moments. Animated versions of the invites are also available with sparkling stars and background score upon demand.With the characters, the messages on wedding cards have changed too. What used to be ‘bring your blessings’ has now become ‘Don’t forget your face masks’. Besides making wedding invites, Anina has also partnered with Bengaluru-based firm The Talking Canvas to conduct online doodle courses for children. This would help them deal with stress better.