We are living in some crazy times, and Corona has us all doing things in a way that we never could have imagined. It’s a tough time to be in the wedding industry and an even tougher time to be engaged, with all the uncertainty about when events can take place and what can and can’t happen.  All of our spring weddings have been postponed and I thought, at least for the time being that our October weddings were safe, but I should know by now to never assume anything!  Last week we got a call early on Friday morning, and it was Elizabeth, a bride we had booked for the coveted date of 10/10/2020.  I could hear trepidation in her voice and she began telling me that her fiance had lost his job, not unheard of in the time of Corona.  My heart sank as I figured they were cancelling their wedding, but she immediately followed up with the fact that since he needed health insurance they were going to get married ahead of time and still have their reception in October.  “Awesome,” I said! “When is the wedding?” to which she responded, “Today, at 5:30 on our porch.”  Cue the scramble!

I didn’t think twice about not being there!  We popped batteries on the charger, dusted off our gear, donned a mask and were out the door.  Elizabeth is a childhood friend of my youngest son whom I’ve known since they were in grammar school.  I wouldn’t miss her wedding for the world, much less let this go undocumented.  We just had to figure out how to capture it safely.  Face masks and long lenses were in order to maintain the proper social distancing.  We were delighted when we arrived to see that in less than 8 hours, Elizabeth and Greg had pulled together the perfect setting for a New Orleans porch wedding.  From the wedding favors (hand sanitizer) to the cake and the catering, every single vendor came through in a pinch to make this wedding happen, and coming together when it really counts is what New Orleans does best.

I was touched by their ability to just roll with the situation and improvise.  No ring, no problem!  With this string, I thee wed just rolled right off of Elizabeth’s tongue with ease. Actually, they had everything they needed to make a wedding and the thing that really matters most, the love for each other and the love of their families, they had in abundance. This is going to be a story that they tell their children and grandchildren … about love in the time of Corona!

I’m so happy to have been a part of this joyous celebration. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever left a wedding without hugging my clients, which made me a little sad, but being able to witness such genuine love and joy more than made up for it. I can’t wait to catch the second half of this fun story in October!

Vendor Love:

Officiant:  Judge Diane Lundeen
Favors:  Nola Brewing
Cake:  Bywater Bakery
Flowers: Whole Foods
Catering:  Lola’s Restaurant