Back in May, I shared stories of couples whose wedding plans were interrupted by the pandemic, but who celebrated their love in surprising—and ultimately memorable—ways.
Many couples have had to make tough choices this year in how to celebrate (or postpone) their union of love. There is no right way to get married in a pandemic, but there can be consequences for couples who disregard health and safety precautions in favor of an unyielding ideal that could lead to tragedy. These are not normal times, and compromises must be made.
Remember that suing for your right to flagrantly violate limits on indoor gatherings won’t make your guests any safer or your wedding more magical. Instead, think creatively and embrace the extraordinary circumstances that mark the start of your union as a married couple. Or postpone your dream wedding until it can be held safely (and legally).
(Ricardo Moura, Unsplash) 
(Jimmy Chion, Unsplash)
More Love Stories From the Pandemic:
- Utah Valley Bride shares the stories of four couples who faced the challenge of changing their imminent wedding plans as the pandemic raged in the spring. While one couple decided to postpone their nuptials, three others moved forward with intimate ceremonies attended by only their closest family and friends. The couples that wed were delighted with how their pared-down weddings turned out, and they are excited to celebrate again with more elaborate affairs post-pandemic.
- When Melanie and Tyler had to cancel their wedding reception, they had already prepaid for about $2,000 worth of food. They decided to donate the catered meal to Laura’s Home, a Cleveland shelter for single women and mothers with children, and they wanted to serve the meal themselves. Melanie and Tyler tied the knot in a backyard wedding and then headed to the shelter in their wedding attire to share their special day and a delicious meal with the residents of Laura’s Home.
- Adventurous nature-lovers Monifa and Wyatt hiked a mountain at 4 a.m. in 30-degree weather to elope on top of a mountain 12,000 feet above sea level. They performed their own marriage ceremony (as per Colorado’s self solemnization law), and they were accompanied by only their photographer who took incredible photos of the majestic scenery and beautiful couple. Needless to say, the pictures went viral.
- When 71-year-old Alexis fell ill with the novel coronavirus, 76-year-old Jeffrey realized that he was in love with her. Alexis and Jeffrey first met at their assisted living facility and were friends for three years before Jeffrey popped the question. “You are never too old to find love,” Jeffrey says, and the pair plan to marry in September with their friends and family in attendance.
- After a 3.5 year engagement, Elaine and Jonathan didn’t want to give up their long-awaited wedding date: 05/10/20. They transformed their Bay Area black-tie wedding plans into a more casual affair on their Brooklyn stoop, with 200 family and friends attending virtually via Zoom. Local-area friends and neighbors dressed in white and created a (socially distanced) Soul Train aisle for Elaine to walk down on her way to the whimsical floral arch that framed the front door of their brownstone. The wedding wasn’t what the couple had intended, but it was nothing short of magical.
- 82-year-old Jane and 92-year-old Richard have a combined eight kids, 18 grandkids, and 22 great-grandkids. The widow and widower recently lost their first spouses after more than 60 years of marriage (each!), but they weren’t ready to call it quits on love. Jane and Richard met on the online dating site Silver Singles in March and married each other five months later.
- Comic artist Lauren Barnett shares an illustrated account of her virtual wedding to her wife. “It was better than I could’ve ever imagined,” she wrote. And one of the best parts? Getting to change into comfortable clothes ten minutes after the ceremony.
- Green Wedding Shoes shares sixteen stories of couples who married during the pandemic. As recounted by the brides and photographers, each wedding was different, but they shared much in common. The intimate ceremonies weren’t what the couples had planned for months (and years), but they were beautiful, memorable, and in many ways—just perfect.