Weddings are an event most girls begin dreaming about as children and it is seemingly one of the biggest days of celebration in a person’s life. I know I have been dreaming of mine since the first wedding I went to when I was twelve-years-old!

Covid-19 has rocked the wedding and events industry hard over the past two months, making wedding planning difficult to navigate for couples all over the world. We have had the opportunity to work with several couples who have had to pivot from their original wedding plans to be creative and figure out how to still have a special day in the midst of a pandemic.

One of these couples happens to be near and dear to my heart. My little sister, Victoria, and her now husband, Xavier, had to throw their original wedding plans out the door and take on a new perspective to ensure their wedding day would be amazing and memorable despite chaos surrounding them.

While Victoria and Xavier made the best of the situation, Victoria said the hardest part was living in the unknown and having to change plans several times.

“We ended up postponing the celebration because we wanted all of our guests to be home and healthy. Even though we were confident about this decision it was emotionally hard to commit to a plan that went against everything that we had been planning for the last year.” -Victoria Timmons

Staying as positive as possible throughout the daily changes of regulations, they decided in the end to move their ceremony up and host it with just both of their immediate families.

“We knew at that point that waiting until our original day to get married would only be about having that day as our anniversary and ultimately we decided that being together was the most important thing to us.”

The couple decided to move their wedding from April 18th to the 4th and host it at Victoria’s family home. They were able to have a first look at The Willows before the ceremony started, to get some amazing photos to capture the day. They met on the bridge to see each other for the first time on their wedding day. “That Bridge means a lot to us because that is where Xavier and I got engaged. I even had some of my Bridal portraits on that bridge so it was a really special moment being able to surprise him on the same bridge a year later.”

After their first look, the couple went on their way to their ceremony to make it official. After the ceremony ended, the couple took photos in the front yard and were in for a big surprise!

“One of the sweetest parts of the day was when my mom and sister surprised us with a carpool of some of our closest family members and friends in the area and a video from other friends who couldn’t be there to wish us well. It hurt so much to not be able to have them there when we got married but seeing them and watching their videos made us feel so incredibly loved!”

Even with a pandemic in full swing, Victoria and Xavier were able to create a beautiful start to their marriage with their family surrounding them and their loved ones and friends supporting them from afar. Now is the time to get creative – think outside of the norm to celebrate your love.

“I think that one of my favorite things about our wedding though is that I remember every single detail about that day. Even though it was nowhere near what we thought it would be, it was so nice to be able to have your family with you and to be able to spend time with them on the most important day of your life. We had no pressure or stress that day and so just being able to escape all of the negative things going on in the world, even for a little bit, brought so much joy to us!”

Are you or someone you know currently trying to plan a wedding in the middle of this pandemic? Here are some words of encouragement Victoria wanted to share:

“It’s okay to be sad about having to change your plans, there was no way for us to know that this would happen and its disappointing when you have to change a day that you have looked forward to for a long time. But I also think that it also shows that you don’t need to have a big wedding to have the perfect day and to get married to your best friend. At the end of the day, you will be able to appreciate the marriage over the wedding and how amazing it is to be together when you have to live out the “for worse” parts of your vows. There is only so much in the world that you can control but being married and together when the world is hurting makes it all worth it!”

Blessings to all of the Covid Couples! Sincerely, Alyssa Timmons

Photography: Allee J Photography

Dress: David’s Bridal

Florals: Jessica Ormond Events

Makeup: Makeup by Janelle