How Australian couple ignored PM’s travel warning and went ahead with their dream Bali wedding – only for seven people to catch coronavirus
- Matt and Jess Muir celebrated their wedding in Bali on March 20 despite warning
- Seven contracted coronavirus at the celebration and took it home to Australia
- Only 30 of 120 guests ended up going and had to self-isolate for 14 days after
- Ms Muir thanked those who attended for their ‘sacrifice’ two weeks later
- Scott Morrison told Australians not to travel anywhere overseas on March 13
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
Seven people caught coronavirus after a couple ignored travel warnings to go ahead with their dream Bali wedding.
Matt and Jess Muir tied the knot at the Villa Shalimar in Canggu on March 20 before returning to their home in Newcastle.
‘It was the greatest wedding ever and it was a shame that the virus was bad,’ one guest who became infected told Daily Mail Australia.
Only about 30 of the 120 invited guests made the trip as they all had to spend 14 days in self-isolation on their return to Australia.
Matt and Jess Muir tied the knot at the Villa Shalimar in Bali on March 20, but seven people contracted coronavirus at their dream wedding
Mr and Mrs Muir kiss as they cut into the cake at their reception, held days after Australians were warned not to travel overseas
Only about 30 of the 120 invited guests made the trip as they all had to spend 14 days in self-isolation on their return to Australia
Ms Muir thanked attendees for their ‘sacrifice’ when she posted photos from the ceremony and reception to Instagram.
‘Thinking about how appreciative and thankful we are of the sacrifice each one of them made to celebrate our special day! It meant the absolute world to us!’ she wrote.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on March 13 warned Australians not to go overseas before raising the alert level to ‘do not travel’ for the whole world five days later.
One of the guests who contracted the deadly disease said everyone had recovered and no one needed hospital treatment.
‘We all came home, we didn’t even know we had it, there were no symptoms. Then one person got tested and was positive so we all got tested,’ they told Daily Mail Australia.
‘It wasn’t even that bad, I’ve woken up with worse hangovers.’
The bridal party with the couple in the middle after the ceremony in the villa’s garden
The married couple drink cocktails in the hotel pool the morning after their wedding
A Mexican-themed ‘recovery party’ in the Villa Shalimar’s pool followed Friday’s wedding reception with plenty of tequila to wash away the hangovers
Friends and family who made the trip appeared to think the quarantine afterwards was a fair trade for a wild weekend.
‘Such a pleasure being able to watch these two get married! Worth every minute of the next 14 days in isolation,’ one wrote.
Others joked in since-deleted comments saying ‘see you in a year, have fun on Christmas Island’.
One friend wrote ‘no virus here’ as he boarded a plane from Sydney Airport with the couple, a comment that would later become deeply ironic.
Photos from the four days of festivities showed the couple exchanging vows in the villa’s garden in front of a small number of guests.
Ms Muir thanked attendees for their ‘sacrifice’ in enduring 14 days of self-isolation upon returning to Australia when she posted photos from the ceremony and reception to Instagram
Mr Muir enjoys a Corona beer at Sydney Airport as the couple prepare to fly to Bali for the wedding
One of the guests who contracted the deadly disease said everyone had recovered and no one needed hospital treatment
Guests were also seen partying in the hotel’s pool and being flung over a cliff on a swing by a Balinese worker wearing a face mask.
Celebrations began with a 12-hour party at the famous Finns Beach Club in Canggu on the Wednesday, followed by sunset drinks at La Brisa beach the next day.
A Mexican-themed ‘recovery party’ in the Villa Shalimar’s pool followed Friday’s wedding reception with plenty of tequila to wash away the hangovers.
But reality set in fast after everyone flew back home to Australia with NSW Health reporting the outbreak a week after the ceremony.
Just five days after the wedding, Mr Morrison banned Australian citizens from overseas travel after thousands ignored advice not to go on holiday.
Matt and Jess Muir could not be reached for comment.
Reality set in fast after everyone flew back home to Australia with NSW Health reporting the outbreak a week after the ceremony