After our engagement in September 2018, CJ deployed to Africa with the Army National Guard. Despite the distance, we still planned a perfect and fun wedding day for when he returned that fit our style. In December 2019, we were so excited to be together again and even more excited to finally be getting married! 2020 was going to be a great year, so it was very shocking and frustrating with all of the uncertainty that COVID-19 suddenly brought.
We decided we would still get married on our original wedding date of June 27, 2020, whether it was going to just be us and a couple of witnesses or with all of our guests.
Luckily, we were still able to have our wedding ceremony in our church…with a few modifications. However, we felt that it was best to delay our wedding reception until June 2021, for the safety of all of our guests. It was a bummer not being able to hug or greet our loved ones after the ceremony, however, we were incredibly thankful for their presence and support.
It was a beautiful day with our closest friends and family which made our wedding all the more intimate and meaningful. We still got to experience all of the cute traditions like enjoying the morning with our respective wedding parties, riding in the limo and jamming to music, our “first touch” outside of the church, and seeing each other for the first time as I walked down the aisle!
Everything was absolutely perfect from my flowers, to our amazing pictures at Rocks State Park afterwards. I even exchanged the heels for sandals and made the short hike to the infamous King and Queen’s Seat for more stunning photos! When our photographer suggested this spot, I thought it was perfect because I used to hike there all the time growing up. When CJ and I first started dating, this was one of the first spots I had to take him to. It was sentimental to me and our relationship in a lot of ways.
Even though we had to modify a bunch of details and plans for our wedding day, it was amazing in every way. We couldn’t let a pandemic stop us from getting married and now we have a unique story/experience to tell our future children and grandchildren! We are so thankful for the BEST family, friends and vendors who were flexible and assisted us every step of the way.
Now I get to wear my wedding dress twice!! Yay!
Written By: Christina V.
Bridesmaids Dresses: Azazie
Florist: Flowers by Dene
Formal Wear: The Black Tux
Hair & Makeup: Jordan Thomas Salon/ Christina’s cousin
Invitations: Zazzle
Photography: High Contrast Photography
Wedding Dress: Edel’s Bridal Boutique
Wedding Rings: Herzberg (hers), Manly Bands (his)