From the moment I said yes, I was swarmed with questions from my friends and family about the details of the wedding. I was expecting the normal stress of finding a theme, location, and dress. Little did I know that we would be getting married in the middle of a pandemic.
On June 9, 2019, my best friend proposed to me at the church where we first met, and it was on our one-year anniversary as a couple. He surprised me, and everything about the proposal was perfect. He did it on the stage in front of our loved ones and took me out to a nice dinner afterward.
We decided to have a one-year engagement and get married on June 9, 2020.
Here is a timeline of my journey preparing for this major milestone while also experiencing the pandemic.
March
This is the month I noticed the world around me started changing. My college classes were moved online for the remainder of the semester. I thought we would come back toward the end of the spring for finals, but that never happened.
Not a single thought went into my head about the virus affecting my wedding. There were hardly any cases near where I lived. I was convinced this would all end soon.
April
I had my caterer, venue, and entertainment finalized. I also mailed my invitations at the beginning of April. I checked the mailbox every day with excitement hoping to see RSVPs. We invited close to 90 people. My friends who live nearby quickly accepted the invite.
Relatives in other states started calling us about their concerns with the wedding and the virus. My now-husband’s grandmother lives in Ohio and her state was beginning to shut businesses down. I tried to stay positive and had to constantly tell everyone that the wedding was still going on.
The cruise for our honeymoon was canceled, along with my sister’s high school graduation. We decided to take a short trip to Miami and stay at a beach resort after our wedding. I was not too bothered by this, since we can go on our dream cruise in the future.
May
I decided to put the planning on hold. My dress shop and venue closed until further notice. I emailed and called the businesses, and they all said the same thing: We must wait out the virus.
An acquaintance postponed her May 2020 wedding and had small ceremony instead, with plans for a reception later in the year.
My eyes were opened to how real COVID-19 was after seeing everything shut down and then having to wear a face mask at work every day.
My future mother- and father-in-law told my Montana and me that we should postpone the wedding altogether and wait until next year. We really did not want to wait another year.
A few days later I was playing phone tag with the people at my venue, and they did not have any answers for me. They said we would know more by June 1. That clearly was not going to work for us since the wedding would be eight days later. I was able to pick up my dress, and that fueled my hope.
I was stressed and anxious. As I look back, I realize it was not as serious as it was in my head. But after planning a wedding for a year, I was frustrated and angry.
We waited a week to figure out what we wanted to do. It did not help to have so many people asking us what our plans were when we had no idea what our next steps would be.
After taking a mini vacation to the beach, we figured out our plans, and it finally came together.
June
Our wedding took place at the church we wanted. We invited 40 people and only 30 showed up. I had all my bridesmaids and Montana had his groomsmen. Our parents were there, but we were missing some of our grandparents due to the fear of flying during the pandemic. It was a small ceremony, but I wore my dream dress and my dad walked me down the aisle.
Afterward we had cake and finger foods. In order to follow social distancing standards, we had two women serve the food and drinks so no one would pass on any germs. Masks were worn and hand sanitizer was offered to the guests. My sister also gave a beautiful speech that brought me to tears.
The wedding was nothing like I pictured it before COVID-19 came to the United States. Even though our plans did not work out, my husband and I celebrated our commitment to one another among the people we care about.
We plan to have a reception next June, and hopefully more people can come. Either way, the wedding was perfect, and I married the most handsome man in the world.