Yesterday, I watched my brother get married in our childhood backyard. Originally, we had planned for a traditional wedding with a large guest list, including high school, college, and graduate school classmates, along with a registry and color-coordinated flowers in a traditional, expansive venue. You know, the works. The bachelorette party was scheduled for April of 2020 and the ceremony was scheduled for May. Our family had drawn an elaborate plan for different people to finish finals and work early to be able to attend the wedding.
Of course, we didn't anticipate COVID-19 and its ability to turn the whole world upside down. By the first week in April, the bachelorette party was postponed indefinitely. The actual ceremony has been rescheduled to sometime next year, or maybe even farther down the road. COVID-19 is so unpredictable that we don’t know how many years it will be until my brother gets his true wedding.
The two of them had been waiting to get married for at least four years. So rather than wait another year, they chose to make the best of the situation and officially get married, saving the glory of a party for a safer time.
The ceremony itself was beautiful, with a guest count of about ten. I thought it was amazing how the families of bride and groom improvised and remained positive throughout this ordeal, despite cancellations and rescheduling due to the coronavirus and even multiple changes to plans due to the weather. We stood in the grass during the ceremony, relatively spaced apart, of course, with a phone propped against a garden chair to record the event. Afterwards, we celebrated to music from a home speaker.
This day was a real life testimony to the way people have managed to make the most of the virus during these trying times. I think this wedding was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had, not only because it wasn’t a traditional one, but also simply due to the light-heartedness and joyful spirits of the guests. Of course, in a way, my brother and his wife were robbed of a traditional wedding, but they walked away from their experience fulfilled and optimistic.
—Vista
Written by: Lily Zeng