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    These days, soon-to-be married couples are desperate to find a way around social distancing in order to still safely have their weddings. These nurses got creative by filling pews with pictures of their loved ones.

    Louisiana couple, Clare Seghers and Mel Keefer, ensured that their wedding would go on and that they would feel the love from all the people they hold near and dear.

    Of course, it would be tremendously irresponsible to have a church wedding with guests filling up the pews. As nurses who are both fighting on the frontlines of the pandemic, the couple knew this. Instead, they set up a live stream (as many other couples have done in recent times) and to make it even more special they asked their loved ones to send them photographs of themselves.

    Before the ceremony started, the couple printed each photo and placed them on the pews in the church, where they would have sat.

    Seghers made her way down the aisle, with only ceremonious music playing in the background, seeing the smiling faces of her loved ones in the pews. They said their vows, and carried out the ceremony as normal. However, they had no idea that a surprise was in store when the left the venue and entered the parking lot.

    As they exited the church, all their guests sat safely in their cars and hooted in congratulations! A welcome surprise that they surely will never forget!

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_HCniTB3IE/

    Congrats to the happy couple!

    Picture: Screenshot from video / Scottie Hunter WAFB

    Almost everyone dreams of having their favourite musician peform at their wedding. However, the chances of this are usually extremely slim. Now more than ever, a celebrity appearance at a wedding is one of the least expected things that could happen.

    This lucky couple, however, were one in a million. Hayley Pitman, a NHS nurse, and Harvey Skelton were forced to postpone their wedding like many others across the world. They decided they would hold their ceremony on Zoom, a very popular trend these days.

    Their online wedding organisers, For Better For Worse, organised a little surprise for them. A performance by Ellie Goulding was on the cards and the couple had no idea.

    Tammy Madge from For Better For Worse said to Metro UK: “It was really difficult to see so many couples having to postpone their weddings after spending months or even years saving and planning for their special day.”

    “To help bring a smile back to a special couple’s face, we took it upon ourselves to organise a virtual wedding.  With such close ties to the NHS, Hayley and Harvey were the perfect choice for us, and of course Ellie Goulding surprising the couple made it so much more special and beautifully emotional even if we were all sat behind our screens! We hope that people will get on-board by donating to our fundraiser page, to show how appreciated our amazing NHS is, especially during this unprecedented time,” she added.

    After the ceremony and the kiss, Ellie Goulding appeared on screen and said “Congratulations Harvey and Hayley, you’re both heroes and we all love you.”

    They had their first dance to an acoustic version of the pop star’s hit ‘Love Me Like You Do’.

    Watch it unfold here:

    Congrats to the happy couple!

    Image: Twitter / @ILoveGlosUK

    There’s a lot of debate about custom wedding dresses versus off-the-rack dresses. Many claim that a custom dress takes much more time and effort. Since we’re in a nationwide lockdown, perhaps now is the perfect time to consider a bespoke gown.

    With a custom gown, there are many advantages. Your imput is the most important thing, whereas with off-the-rack gows, you might have to settle for what’s available. The world is your oyster with a tailor-made gown, you can let your imagination run free to come up with exactly what your dream dress looks like. Not only that, you won’t have to spend hours in stores trying on dress after dress.

    Since you have two weeks (possibly more) left at home you can get to thinking. Start by searching Instagram and Pinterest to gather some inspiration. From there, you can note which styles are your favourites, what fabrics and colours you like, and other small touches to make your wedding dress truly unique.

    You could even spend some time chatting to dressmakers, offering them your ideas to see if they’re able to create something that you’d like. With the technology we have these days, you could have your entire first appointment online, as long as you can take your own measurements.

    Of course, with a custom dress you may have to spend a bit more money and have a few more fittings. However, these problems are easily turned into non-issues if you try hard enough.

    You may be saving money in other areas of your wedding expenses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. For example, if your guest list is slightly trimmed to ensure that you have a smaller gathering (since we may still have some restrictions after the lockdown ends) then you’ll save money by getting a smaller venue, or by catering for less people. You’ll also save on printing and sending invitations. These savings could be used for your dress, if you’d like.

    A bespoke dress ensures a perfect fit, no style limitations and many more up sides, so it’s worth considering. After all, who knows you better than you!

    Image: Pexels

    Not all superhero’s wear capes, some deliver packages and come bearing a groom’s wedding band just in time for the ceremony.

    Savannah Kulenic and Dylan Perkins planned a big April 10 wedding in Hawaii, only to be forced to cancel due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, they didn’t let that get them down. Together, they organised a last minute ceremony which was held at a friends beach house in Surf City.

    Just when they thought nothing else could go wrong, they were left without the grooms ring which had not yet been delivered by the time they started the beach wedding ceremony. The photographer, Amy Fowler, documented the entire fiasco in a Facebook post.

    “The bride was waiting on the groom’s wedding band that was to be delivered by the time of the ceremony,” said Fowler. “We had to leave a note on the front door to ask if the delivery person would bring the ring down to the beach. We began the ceremony on the beach and at the end of the ceremony my friend, Brandy, yelled ‘LOOK, IT’S THE FED EX MAN!’ ”

    “This sweet man came running down the sand waving the package. It was amazing!” she added.

    Fowler joked that this was the perfect opportunity for a great FedEx commercial.

    Have a look at Fowlers images of the saviour in action below, you can even see the FedEx employee attempting to ensure he practices safe social distancing.

    Congrats to the happy couple!

    Images: Facebook / Amy Fowler Shores

    If you were planning on getting married in the next few months, you’ve most likely decided to postpone your wedding on account of the coronavirus pandemic. This can be an overwhelming task, and it’s easy to forget simple things like asking your vendors the correct questions.

    If you’re not sure where to start with the postponing process, then we suggest you start with your vendors. Make enquiries with them to find out everything you need to know. From there, it’ll be a much simpler task.

    Additionally, starting with your vendors could lead to some refunds if you’re lucky. Not all of them offer refunds, it often depends on individual circumstances. However, it is commonly said that the earlier you cancel, the better your chances of getting a refund.

    Here are some questions you should ask your vendors:

    – Wedding Planner 

    What are our options if we decide to postpone?

    Are you able to coordinate with our other vendors on our decision?

    If we reschedule, will you be available in the coming months?

    – Florist 

    What happens if we cancel or postpone our wedding?

    Is it possible to use the deposit for a new wedding date?

    Will there be an issue with sourcing the chosen flowers and if so will you be available to assist with choosing new ones?

    – Caterer 

    Are there any cancellation fees, and are they applicable for postponing too?

    Will postponing mean we have to redo the menu?

    If the number of guests decreases, will we pay the original amount or an adjusted amount?

    Will you handle food and serving of food differently as a result of coronavirus?

    – Photographer 

    Are there fees related to cancelling or rescheduling?

    Are we able to apply the deposit to the new date?

    Are you available in coming months if we do postpone?

    If you’re having a destination wedding, enquire whether vendors such as the photographer are still comfortable to travel.

    Image: Unsplash

    Like many others, Alex Buckwell, 26, and David Collie, 36, were forced to cancel their wedding on account of the coronavirus pandemic. Luckily for them, they recently moved into the friendliest of neighbourhoods and were treated to a surprise wedding by the other residents.

    The couple from Eastbourne, East Sussex, postponed their ceremony which was supposed take place in a Scottish priory. Of course, they were heart broken by this. Instead of their big wedding, they planned to eat fancy steaks in their new garden on March 23, since they had just moved in.

    That evening, they heard the sound of bagpipes and a knock on their door. To their surprise they found that their new neighbours put together an impromptu wedding with champagne, bagpipes, flowers, and a bubble machine.

    “It was the most touching surprise,” said Alex, who works in HR for the NHS in Eastbourne, to the Daily Mail.  “To know that this was all organised by strangers made it even more incredible. I couldn’t stop crying.”

    “We’d moved into the house on the last day possible before house moves were banned and then we were in lockdown so we hadn’t met any of the neighbours.”

    She said she only briefly mentioned what would have been her wedding day because the woman who lives across the road had asked her if they could swap parking spaces.

    The couple danced to ABBA’s Dancing Queen as the neighbours applauded their first dance in the middle of the road.

    Congrats to the happy couple!

    Images: Unsplash

    You may think that with a world wide health crisis going on, now is not the best time to get engaged. However, it seems many would disagree as there have been quite a few engagements during the time of coronavirus.

    Of course, there is no single reason for this trend, but there are a few which are common. The most common reason is that these couples planned to get engaged before the coronavirus pandemic took over everyone’s lives and forced us all to change our plans. Like rapper Jeezy, who propososed to Jeannie Mai on a “quarantine date”, many are simply following through with plans they had already made but had reworked to cater for self-isolation. After all, we wouldn’t want to put our lives on hold for an undisclosed, or unknown amount of time.

    Many people are rushing engagements of marriages at this time for more logistical and technical reasons. Getting engaged and married means that you may have more authority to advocate for each other in medical emergencies, which is important at a time like this. It may also be on account of visa requirements, or to avoid conflicts about wills or estates.

    Then, there is the obvious reason. The one we hope is the strongest, most convincing reason for all those couples getting engaged. Love. Perhaps the health crisis has shown people how precious life is and how time is fleeting and that they have to seize the moment.

    For those who are religious, or at least more conservative in their beliefs, an engagement or marriage makes it more “acceptable” to stay together during the lockdown. If people don’t want to get separated from each other during this time, they simply get engaged and married to be together while keeping their families happy.

    No matter the reason though, we hope that all the couples getting engaged during this time are as happy as can be!

    Image: Unsplash

    Even in the time of coronavirus, love conquers all. It finds a way around all barriers, even hospitalisation. This elderly Italian couple celebrated their 50th anniversary, in an intensive care unit (ICU) after medics arranged for them to be together.

    Sandra (71) and husband Giancarlo (73) both contracted COVID-19 and were thus hospitalised at the Murri Hospital in Fermo, in the eastern region of Marche.

    Roberta Ferretti, a nurse at the hospital, heard that the couple’s 50th anniversary was coming up and decided she would organise a a celebration with the help of some other medics. “Sandra cried a lot, not for herself; she was worried about her husband. He told me how much he still loved her, after so many years. When I found out that it was their anniversary, I thought they had to celebrate it,” said Ferretti to a local media outlet.

    According to the Daily Mail, the celebration lasted only 10 minutes, and a candle was placed on a cake without lighting it since it cannot be lit close to the oxygen.

    The couple held hands as the medics played the Wedding March.

    In a Facebook post, Ferretti said that Sandra was crying tears of joy, and her husband only spoke about how in love with her he is.

    Images: Facebook / Roberta Ferretti

    Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting quarantines and self-isolation regulations, many are postponing their weddings. However, moving your wedding doesn’t mean your orginal wedding date has to be any less special.

    You may have had your heart set on your original date, it may have been a sentimental choice, or perhaps it was the perfect date for you. Whatever the reason for the original choice, you should still celebrate! Just because the actual celebration won’t be on that day, doesn’t mean you can’t do something special to comemorate what the date means to you now.

    Here are some ways to celebrate in self-isolation:

    – Have a mini photoshoot 

    Set the self-timer and get posing! You could dress up in your wedding outfits if you have them, or formal attire if you don’t. You could even make it light hearted and take some funny photos of the two of you dressed up in costumes put together with household items. If you’re feeling extra creative, you could create some fun backdrops.

    You and your partner can cherish the photos for years to come. It’ll be a fun way to comemorate the day, and will bring back all sorts of memories every time you come back to them.

    – Host virtual drinks with your wedding party 

    The bridesmaids and groomsmen have been commited to your wedding for a while! Why not celebrate the day with them by you side? Hop on Zoom or Skype, and have a drink with them in comemoration of the day you all have spent so long preparing for.

    – Make a wedding cake 

    Spend some quality time in the kitchen creating a wedding cake. You may not have the one you ordered on hand, but that doesn’t mean you should go without! And of course, what is a celebration without a cake?

    – Write wedding day letters 

    In place of saying your wedding vows to each other, why not write letters to exchange on the original wedding date. This way, you’re celebrating in a special and intimate way, while saving your actual vows for your postponed date.

    – Have your first dance 

    You’ve practiced it for so many hours! Pop some music on the speakers and have your first dance.

    Image: Unsplash

    With the coronavirus pandemic essentially taking over the world, couples are having for rethink their wedding celebrations. Those with elderly relatives have to be extra careful, as they are some of the most at-risk in the population.

    Danielle Beaumier, a bride from Boardman, Ohio, refused to have her wedding without her beloved grandma. However, she wanted to ensure her safety too. In order to ensure that her grandmother was a part of her special day, Beaumier brought the wedding to her grandmother’s window.

    Her grandma lives in an assisted living facility. WKFR reports that she was able to attend the bridal shower in March. However, since then social distancing regulations have tightened and the coronavirus situation has worsened. Now, nursing homes have gone into lockdown in order to protect their residents.

    With just the couple, their parents, Beaumier’s grandmother, and the officiant in attendance, they held a small ceremony on the lawn outside the nursing home.

    “My important thing was having my grandmother there. So, as long as that happened I was happy with the outcome,” says Beaumeir to WKFR.

    The couple intends to hold their wedding celebration in August.

    Congrats to the happy couple!

    Image: Screenshot from video