For the fifty-plus couples involved, this shared ceremony offered practical advantages, particularly in a context where individual celebrations are financially prohibitive for most. The collective nature of the wedding allowed for shared costs, shared risks, and a powerful sense of mutual support, transforming an insurmountable personal burden into a manageable communal project. Furthermore, the mass gathering itself became a politically and culturally significant statement, broadcasting the community's refusal to let the conflict dictate the full extent of their existence and their personal milestones. It was a defiant assertion that life, in all its complexity and beauty, must and will continue.
