Love in a time of lockdown: We chat to Bride of the Year 2019

Love is a beautiful thing, something that was constantly amplified by the outside world. Take a walk with that someone special and the sky looks better. Eat with your partner and the food somehow tastes better. Suddenly a global pandemic takes hold, lockdown sets in and your place of residence becomes your safe haven, with only remnants of the outside world you once had. Bride of the Year (BOTY) 2019 Chantal Magid, 34, married the love of her life Gregory Magid, 33, on 16 December last year.

Just a few moments into their fairytale and their marriage, the words pandemic, national disaster and lockdown became all too familiar. We chatted to Chantal to find out how the couple has had to adjust to the “new normal”.

Chantal is a brand manager in the premium spirits industry, Gregory is a business owner and they live in Royal Ascot in Cape Town. Chantal said she met Gregory at a mutual friend’s birthday party three years ago. 

“After just one year of dating, Greg arranged a very romantic proposal in the Philippines,” said Chantal. 

THE PERFECT WEDDING DAY 

Chantal and Gregory tied the knot on 16 December 2019 at Olive Rock in Wolseley in the Western Cape. When asked to describe their wedding day, Chantal said it was perfect in every way possible.  

“We wanted to create a day that was natural, laid back and epitomised our love for each other and our love for our family and friends, and of course not forgetting fun and festive,” she said.

“It was important for us to combine our cultural and spiritual backgrounds with Greg being Jewish and myself being Christian which added an extra touch of specialness to our day,” she added.

BRIDE OF THE YEAR  

When asked why she entered Bride of the Year 2019, Chantal said one of her bridesmaids encouraged her to enter. 

“When I saw the fantastic prizes I decided to enter. It was also a great way to relive our wedding day,” she said. 

Chantal and Gregory weren’t able to go on a honeymoon following the expense of their wedding but despite a minor setback, the couple were destined for a getaway.  

“We are over the moon to have won a seven-night stay for two in the Maldives at the Adaaran Select Meedhupparu resort, a dream come true,” said Chantal. 

The couple also won skincare products, champagne and luxury sleepwear. 

LOVE IN THE TIME OF LOCKDOWN 

The lockdown, as expected, has not made things easy for the couple or anyone else for that matter but love always proves victorious.

“For Greg and I, the hardest part has been not seeing friends and family who are an important part of our lives. We’ve had to get used to each other’s company and also learn to respect each other’s space at times,” she said. 

Then, Chantal dropped some amazing news. One month into the lockdown, in April, she found out she was pregnant. 

“[It] came as a beautiful surprise for us. As Gregs business is based in Johannesburg we normally don’t spend our weeks together, so in a way, lockdown has been a blessing for us in that we could spend more time together and Greg could be home to support me,” she said.  

“Being pregnant for the first time in the middle of a global pandemic is not without its challenges, some days feel quite scary but Greg has been such an amazing support. This time together has definitely strengthened our partnership,” added the mom-to-be.

Chantal said the future with Gregory is an exciting one. 

“Our dream has been to start a family of our own which we are so thankful we have been blessed with.” 

You can watch the finals of SA Weddings Bride of the Year 2019 here.