The novel coronavirus has ended lives and upended lives, with new cases of Covid-19 being reported in places around the world each day. Among the considerations people have had to face during the pandemic is whether or not to get married and, if so, how and where to do so.

For many couples who do decide to get married — whether they've had to cancel their original ceremony plans and make new ones, or are only now feeling the time is right or necessary for marriage — following the advice of health-care professionals and scientists appears to be very much on their minds.

Wearing protective face masks and social distancing have become commonplace not just in daily life, but during more rare, special occasions — like weddings.

A couple kisses after their wedding ceremony, which included only witnesses, in Vilnius, Lithuania, on April 3.
A couple kisses after their wedding ceremony, which included only witnesses, in Vilnius, Lithuania, on April 3.
Mindaugas Kulbis/AP
Newlyweds sign a marriage-registration form at the Tagansky registry office in Moscow on April 10.
Newlyweds sign a marriage-registration form at the Tagansky registry office in Moscow on April 10.
Sergei Bobylev/TASS/Getty Images
Martin Garret and Dr. Brecken Armstrong, an emergency-room physician, embrace after being married in a small ceremony in Altadena, California, on April 4. The couple were supposed to get married in Greece, but their plans changed because of the pandemic.
Martin Garret and Dr. Brecken Armstrong, an emergency-room physician, embrace after being married in a small ceremony in Altadena, California, on April 4. The couple were supposed to get married in Greece, but their plans changed because of the pandemic.
Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News/Getty Images
Octavianus Kristianto puts a ring on his new bride, Elma Divani, during their wedding ceremony in Pamulang, Indonesia, on June 19. They were wearing latex gloves to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Octavianus Kristianto puts a ring on his new bride, Elma Divani, during their wedding ceremony in Pamulang, Indonesia, on June 19. They were wearing latex gloves to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Tatan Syuflana/AP
Becky Brown chats with her mom via video before her wedding March 23 at the Eastminster Presbyterian Church in East Lansing, Michigan. She and groom Mike Brown decided to marry that evening after Michigan's "Stay Home, Stay Safe" executive order was issued in the morning, forgoing a ceremony with 120 guests that had been planned for March 28. Her parents dressed up and watched via social media.
Becky Brown chats with her mom via video before her wedding March 23 at the Eastminster Presbyterian Church in East Lansing, Michigan. She and groom Mike Brown decided to marry that evening after Michigan's "Stay Home, Stay Safe" executive order was issued in the morning, forgoing a ceremony with 120 guests that had been planned for March 28. Her parents dressed up and watched via social media.
Brad Atkinson/USA Today Network/Reuters
A couple try on a suit and a wedding dress at a wedding service company in Shijiazhuang, China, on April 8.
A couple try on a suit and a wedding dress at a wedding service company in Shijiazhuang, China, on April 8.
Zhai Yujia/China News Service/Getty Images
Dr. Amelia Baxter-Stoltzfus, left, and her partner, Lillis Meeh, sit inside the Manhattan Marriage Bureau in New York on March 16. The pair opted for a domestic partnership. <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2020%2F03%2F18%2Ffashion%2Fweddings%2Fcoronavirus-city-hall-marriages.html" target="_blank" target="_blank">According to The New York Times</a>, "the couple had decided to become domestic partners, in large part so Ms. Meeh could be covered through Dr. Baxter-Stoltzfus's insurance." Baxter-Stoltzfus is a resident at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, and Meeh lost her special-effects job on Broadway after the play she was working on shut down.
Dr. Amelia Baxter-Stoltzfus, left, and her partner, Lillis Meeh, sit inside the Manhattan Marriage Bureau in New York on March 16. The pair opted for a domestic partnership. According to The New York Times, "the couple had decided to become domestic partners, in large part so Ms. Meeh could be covered through Dr. Baxter-Stoltzfus's insurance." Baxter-Stoltzfus is a resident at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, and Meeh lost her special-effects job on Broadway after the play she was working on shut down.
Daniel Arnold/The New York Times/Redux
Gary Kafei records part of Philip Rosengreen and Afsy Kafei's wedding ceremony at Afsy's parents' house in Fort Myers, Florida, on May 23. The couple had to cancel their wedding in Spain due to the pandemic.
Gary Kafei records part of Philip Rosengreen and Afsy Kafei's wedding ceremony at Afsy's parents' house in Fort Myers, Florida, on May 23. The couple had to cancel their wedding in Spain due to the pandemic.
Jessica Rodriguez/Naples Daily N/Imagn Content Services/Reuters
Kadie Smeding walks the aisle to marry Tyler van Roosendaal in a Salt Lake City yard on April 4.
Kadie Smeding walks the aisle to marry Tyler van Roosendaal in a Salt Lake City yard on April 4.
Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/AP
Friederike Jorzig, a wedding dress and evening wear designer, adjusts a mannequin wearing a wedding dress and face mask at her store in Berlin on March 31.
Friederike Jorzig, a wedding dress and evening wear designer, adjusts a mannequin wearing a wedding dress and face mask at her store in Berlin on March 31.
Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images
Matt Shearer and Jen Andonian get married at the Massachusetts General Hospital Ether Dome in Boston on March 27. They are both epidemiologists who work in the field of disaster management. Shearer and Andonian were supposed to get married on March 20 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. For their wedding at the MGH Ether Dome, which was once the hospital's operating room, the MGH General Store and Flower Shop did their flowers; Nutrition and Food Service made their cake; and the Photo Lab took the photos and the video to send to the couple's families.
Matt Shearer and Jen Andonian get married at the Massachusetts General Hospital Ether Dome in Boston on March 27. They are both epidemiologists who work in the field of disaster management. Shearer and Andonian were supposed to get married on March 20 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. For their wedding at the MGH Ether Dome, which was once the hospital's operating room, the MGH General Store and Flower Shop did their flowers; Nutrition and Food Service made their cake; and the Photo Lab took the photos and the video to send to the couple's families.
Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe/Getty Images
A newly married couple exchange wedding rings in front of the home of a Virginia state marriage officiant in Arlington, Virginia, on April 1.
A newly married couple exchange wedding rings in front of the home of a Virginia state marriage officiant in Arlington, Virginia, on April 1.
Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images
Patrick Crilly and Deja Trudeaux, at a distance from their friends and family, kiss after taking their own engagement photograph in front of the Algiers Courthouse in New Orleans on March 31.
Patrick Crilly and Deja Trudeaux, at a distance from their friends and family, kiss after taking their own engagement photograph in front of the Algiers Courthouse in New Orleans on March 31.
David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate/AP
Katira Shores and Rashaun Sourles prepare to be married at the Beyond Services notary in Alhambra, California, on March 19. Shores and Sourles, who live in San Diego, were supposed to be married in Reno, Nevada, in April. Their wedding was canceled, and after a long search from San Diego to Los Angeles, they eventually found a notary service in Alhambra that could perform the service.
Katira Shores and Rashaun Sourles prepare to be married at the Beyond Services notary in Alhambra, California, on March 19. Shores and Sourles, who live in San Diego, were supposed to be married in Reno, Nevada, in April. Their wedding was canceled, and after a long search from San Diego to Los Angeles, they eventually found a notary service in Alhambra that could perform the service.
Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News/Getty Images
Newly married Tyler and Caryn Suiters embrace following a marriage ceremony performed by the Rev. Andrew Merrow at the St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia, on April 18. Merrow and his wife, Cameron, were the only other attendees at the ceremony due to social-distancing guidelines.
Newly married Tyler and Caryn Suiters embrace following a marriage ceremony performed by the Rev. Andrew Merrow at the St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia, on April 18. Merrow and his wife, Cameron, were the only other attendees at the ceremony due to social-distancing guidelines.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Elvis Presley impersonator and chapel co-owner Brendan Paul performs a vow renewal ceremony in Las Vegas using video-conferencing software on July 28.
Elvis Presley impersonator and chapel co-owner Brendan Paul performs a vow renewal ceremony in Las Vegas using video-conferencing software on July 28.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Lara Laas and Daniel Clark are married at Sydney's Captain Henry Waterhouse Reserve in Kirribilli, Australia, on March 28.
Lara Laas and Daniel Clark are married at Sydney's Captain Henry Waterhouse Reserve in Kirribilli, Australia, on March 28.
James D. Morgan/Getty Images
Jacqueline Cavender, 84, reacts as her grandson, US Army 2nd Lt. Robert Costea, and his bride, Sarah, recreate their wedding for her outside a medical facility in Jackson, Georgia, on June 7.
Jacqueline Cavender, 84, reacts as her grandson, US Army 2nd Lt. Robert Costea, and his bride, Sarah, recreate their wedding for her outside a medical facility in Jackson, Georgia, on June 7.
Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/AP
Bride Silviana Dewi, center, and groom Evo Darmawangsah, right, make vows during their wedding ceremony in Siwa, Indonesia, on April 9.
Bride Silviana Dewi, center, and groom Evo Darmawangsah, right, make vows during their wedding ceremony in Siwa, Indonesia, on April 9.
Hariandi Hafid/Echos Wire/Barcroft Media/Getty Images
An employee sanitizes the chuppah, or Jewish wedding canopy, before couple Roni Ben-Ari and Yonatan Meushar got married in Ein Hemed, Israel, on March 18.
An employee sanitizes the chuppah, or Jewish wedding canopy, before couple Roni Ben-Ari and Yonatan Meushar got married in Ein Hemed, Israel, on March 18.
Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
Through video conferencing, invitees watch the marriage ceremony of gay-rights activist Marco Castillo, right center, and his longtime partner, Rodrigo Campos, in San Jose, Costa Rica, May 26.
Through video conferencing, invitees watch the marriage ceremony of gay-rights activist Marco Castillo, right center, and his longtime partner, Rodrigo Campos, in San Jose, Costa Rica, May 26.
Carlos Gonzalez/AP
Tatiana Datolla and Armando De Rosa lower their face masks to kiss at their wedding ceremony in Rome on April 11.
Tatiana Datolla and Armando De Rosa lower their face masks to kiss at their wedding ceremony in Rome on April 11.
Andrew Medichini/AP
Newlyweds enter an empty room in Hong Kong on March 29. Their wedding banquet was canceled to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Newlyweds enter an empty room in Hong Kong on March 29. Their wedding banquet was canceled to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Anthony Kwan/Getty Images
Mohamed Abu Daga and his bride, Israa, pose for photos before their wedding ceremony in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on March 23.
Mohamed Abu Daga and his bride, Israa, pose for photos before their wedding ceremony in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on March 23.
Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images
Make-up artists wear face masks while preparing Marie Andrea Offoumou for her wedding in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on May 15.
Make-up artists wear face masks while preparing Marie Andrea Offoumou for her wedding in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on May 15.
Luc Gnago/Reuters
Just-married couple Boualem and Laila Bellil are photographed by Laila's mother in a courtyard in Dresden, Germany on March 26. They celebrated without wedding guests.
Just-married couple Boualem and Laila Bellil are photographed by Laila's mother in a courtyard in Dresden, Germany on March 26. They celebrated without wedding guests.
Jens Meyer/AP
Newlyweds exchange rings during their marriage registration at the Tagansky registry office in Moscow on April 10.
Newlyweds exchange rings during their marriage registration at the Tagansky registry office in Moscow on April 10.
Sergei Bobylev/TASS/Getty Images
Rabbi Claudia Kreiman marries Elisheva Dan and Mara Mooiweer during their wedding at Griggs Park in Brookline, Massachusetts on March 26. The couple were eager to be married as soon as possible after one of them had been diagnosed with cancer. They held a socially distanced ceremony.
Rabbi Claudia Kreiman marries Elisheva Dan and Mara Mooiweer during their wedding at Griggs Park in Brookline, Massachusetts on March 26. The couple were eager to be married as soon as possible after one of them had been diagnosed with cancer. They held a socially distanced ceremony.
Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe/Getty Images
Sasithorn Yunnathai adjusts the necktie of Apichai Chuasawad during a traditional wedding ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 21.
Sasithorn Yunnathai adjusts the necktie of Apichai Chuasawad during a traditional wedding ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 21.
Rungroj Yongrit/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
A woman walks past a bridal boutique in Dublin on May 19.
A woman walks past a bridal boutique in Dublin on May 19.
Brian Lawless/PA Images/Reuters
Karl Fretcher and JoAnn Payton get an elbow bump from minister Terri Foree after she married the couple in the front yard of Payton's home in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 12.
Karl Fretcher and JoAnn Payton get an elbow bump from minister Terri Foree after she married the couple in the front yard of Payton's home in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 12.
Matt Stone/Courier Journal/Imagn Content/USA Today
Gyorgy David Jablonovszky and Timea Jablonovszky attend their wedding ceremony with some family members at the town hall of Miskolc, Hungary, on March 28.
Gyorgy David Jablonovszky and Timea Jablonovszky attend their wedding ceremony with some family members at the town hall of Miskolc, Hungary, on March 28.
Janos Vajda/MTI/AP
Samantha Yamasaki and Levi Mack get married in Pequannock Township, New Jersey, on March 28. The couple married at Yamasaki's family's home.
Samantha Yamasaki and Levi Mack get married in Pequannock Township, New Jersey, on March 28. The couple married at Yamasaki's family's home.
Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com/USA Today Network
A couple poses for a picture after taking their wedding vows in a parking lot in Anaheim, California, on April 17.
A couple poses for a picture after taking their wedding vows in a parking lot in Anaheim, California, on April 17.
Mike Blake/Reuters
Amelia Ward and Brandon Wright pose in their wedding dress and suit at their home in Philadelphia on March 28. Their wedding was supposed to be the day before in New Orleans, but it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They pushed their wedding back a year.
Amelia Ward and Brandon Wright pose in their wedding dress and suit at their home in Philadelphia on March 28. Their wedding was supposed to be the day before in New Orleans, but it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They pushed their wedding back a year.
Joe Lamberti/Courier Post/USA Today Network
Mohammad Nor Azwan Ishak and Nuramiraalia Noorbashah pose for pictures at a traditional solemnisation ceremony before getting married in a house in Lanchang, Malaysia, on March 20.
Mohammad Nor Azwan Ishak and Nuramiraalia Noorbashah pose for pictures at a traditional solemnisation ceremony before getting married in a house in Lanchang, Malaysia, on March 20.
Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Getty Images
Diego Fernandes and Deni Salgado kiss through face masks at a wedding ceremony in Naples, Italy, on March 20. There were no guests, only witnesses.
Diego Fernandes and Deni Salgado kiss through face masks at a wedding ceremony in Naples, Italy, on March 20. There were no guests, only witnesses.
Ciro De Luca/Reuters
Philip Hernandez and Marcela Peru pose for a picture in the Honda Center parking lot after they were married by a county clerk in Anaheim, California, on April 21.
Philip Hernandez and Marcela Peru pose for a picture in the Honda Center parking lot after they were married by a county clerk in Anaheim, California, on April 21.
Apu Gomes/AFP/Getty Images