2020 has created some extraordinary tales. Following is the story of how the pandemic affected my wedding.

March 2020 was supposed to be the most important month of my life. It was the month where I’d get hitched with the man I love. The man that makes me whole.  

Daniel popped the question in the last week of January. Today, it seems like a memory from another world. The bar was buzzing with people, there were no social distancing protocols in place. People weren’t afraid to shake hands, hug and kiss one another. 

That day, Daniel drove me to a local bar in what I assumed would be a casual Wednesday night date. 

It was our favorite place in town that we regularly visited. This was also the bar where Daniel slipped me a napkin that said, “I like you”. We were friends who liked each other but never dared to express it. Daniel took the initiative in the only way he could. 

Five years later, he once again handed me a napkin. Only this time, the text read, “Will you marry me?”. It got awkward real quick. He jammed the ring in the wrong finger. Just as I was putting it right, our friend showed up to congratulate. I am sure someone spilled a drink too. 

The Wedding is delayed 

We had planned the wedding on 21st of March. Everything was going according to plan. I spent weeks picking what I think was the perfect wedding dress. The venue was booked. Invitations were sent out. All that was left to do was for us to walk down the aisle, exchange vows and begin our lives as a married couple. 

A week before all this, the pandemic caused the whole country to go in isolation. Businesses started closing and states issued stay-at-home orders. We knew our dream wedding couldn’t go on as planned and had to be postponed. 

As a couple, Daniel and I had seen our fair share of tough times. But never in a million year did we think a pandemic would come our way. The worst thing was not knowing when things will go back to normal and we would be able to wed in front of our loved ones. 

Unfortunately, things never went back to normal. At least not the normal we were expecting. 

Our Wedding in the “New Normal”

Knowing the pandemic will not be over anytime soon, Daniel and I decided to go ahead with the wedding. Fortunately, the COVID-19 outbreak in our state is under control and the government is allowing people to go on with their lives while advising some precautions. 

Keeping this in mind, we changed the venue of our wedding from a local church to a getaway house in the countryside. It was a large enough establishment to host a socially distant wedding. 

The pandemic didn’t adversely affect our financial situation. We had it better than most people. But still, we made a conscious decision to reduce the wedding expenses. Having an extravagant wedding while many others are struggling to make ends meet just didn’t sit right with us. 

It’s hard to have a wedding on a budget. However, I was able to find online guides that help me significantly reduce my wedding expenditure. Meanwhile, I also utilized websites such RetailMeNot and EMUCoupon to find discounts on everything from decorations to the drinks that were to be served. 

We also made sure to keep everyone safe. The list of guests was cut down to only our immediate families. Our friends watched via live stream. There were sanitizers on every table and all guests were asked to wear masks. 

Some tables were left deliberately empty to remind people they needed to exercise precaution. Looking back, these empty tables did make the atmosphere a bit gloomy. 

Our revised wedding venue has hosted several marriage ceremonies. It came with extraordinary wedding decorations that added a taste of royalty in the ceremony. 

The guests were served cupcakes baked by the groom’s mother. Suffice to say, there were more than enough for everyone.

We chipped in with some of our decorations as well. 

It’s not easy to be the bride when you’re trying to interact with as little people as possible. Since I’m not that skilled with a makeup brush, I had to take my chances with a stylist. She did a swell job though.

Being all dressed up for my big day, all I wanted was to be surrounded by my best friends. Unfortunately, the bridesmaids were not there physically but joined in via Zoom.

A bride is not a bride without some pearl in her hair. This is the same accessory my mom wore at her wedding. I think I have started a nice little family tradition here.

Finally, the bride and the groom, bridal dress. Despite everything that has transpired in the last few months, I have held onto my sanity thanks to my now-husband. He has been my rock through every up and down. Even though the wedding wasn’t as big as we planned —what matters is that it happened and now, I am one with my true love.