Tears of joy and hope to get through the nationwide lockdown - much needed therapy for everyone.

These are the emotions a couple from Johannesburg experienced when family and friends made a surprise celebration video to “lift their mood”.

Their wedding, which was due to take place on Sunday, had to be postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kyle Hyam and Gaby Trathen met as children way back through family circles.

Hyam, the MD at New Vantage Properties and Trathen, owner of beauty salon Bloom & Blush, had been together for more than three years.

They were engaged in September 2019 and were looking forward to saying “I do” on April 26.

“But Covid-19 had different intentions for us. The entire celebration will now be moved to 2021, when travel bans will hopefully be lifted so all our international guests can join us and large gatherings are permitted,” said Trathen.

“Initially it was a tough decision, but when President [Cyril] Ramaphosa forbid social gatherings and closed borders the decision was made for us - it was out of our control, which somehow made it easier.”   

Despite the wedding not going as planned, family and friends had other ideas.

“Their wedding day was meant to be the happiest day of their lives, spent with friends and family. We wanted to ensure it stayed that way, even with their plans being postponed,” said Hyam’s sister, Taryn Wiebols.

A cousin from Australia who was meant to travel to SA for the wedding, asked Wiebols if they could do something special for the couple.

“We wanted something that was a celebration with us all together, even though we are all apart,” Wiebols said.

In the space of a week, family and friends on the guest list from all over the world were asked to send videos of them dancing to Pharell Williams’ Happy.

“The song has an overall theme that nothing can bring you down if you believe in the power of love and happiness. We danced to this song in our homes all over the world.

“We danced in our kitchens, lounges, cars, on rooftops and even in the rain.

“Technology has been amazing in keeping us all connected. Right from being able to capture the special video moments on our phones in our homes all over the world, to editing the video in Australia, to sharing it with the wedding couple and all the guests on Zoom,” said Wiebols.

Wiebols said the video was “Take 1” of their wedding celebration.

“We can’t wait to celebrate 'Take 2' in person, when it is safe to do so.

“We celebrated with them in a very different way to what was planned, but it was very happy all things considered. It became a practice run for their actual wedding day,” she said.

In response to the video, Trathen said: “I think the world needs a hug more than a wedding.”

She said they were planning to go to the Maldives for their honeymoon, but had also put that on hold until it was safe to travel.