THE CORONA BLUES — NOT ONE, BUT TWO WEDDINGS
a dream
Last week, I was supposed to board a plane home from my elopement and European vacation. I had a long-standing daydream of eloping somewhere abroad and my now-husband Jarod, who makes all my dreams come true, was on board so we started planning.
I scoured deals for months, searching for the right destination. I was looking for somewhere that felt whimsical, while still giving us activities for an exciting honeymoon. Finally, we settled on Paris (how could you not, with the historic romance), with a trip up to Belgium and Amsterdam following the ceremony.
We found a charming AirBnB on the French countryside, straight out of a fairy tale. It was perfect, and just a short train ride from Paris. The space was beautiful, allowing for an inside ceremony if the weather was too chilly, and large enough to accommodate the seven adults and two children we’d be toting along.
We took the plunge and bought our tickets, spending the next couple of months adding in details and dreaming about the Eiffel Tower.
two weeks out
Then this whole COVID-19 thing cropped up. At first it wasn’t a big deal and we brushed it aside. The danger was in China and so far from our dreams. But then a pocket of the virus broke out in Roissey, where our venue was located. After lots of tears, prayer, frustration, and panic, and time on the phone with our travel agency, we cancelled — two weeks before our big day. Changing the date wasn’t an option for us, so we pivoted, wracking our brains for a backup plan we could pull off in time. Jarod suggested Colorado and after a quick Pinterest search, I was sold.
I spent an afternoon Googling and when he came over after work, I had a plan. We’d elope in the aspens and take a tropical honeymoon in St. Lucia, far, far away from the cold weather-loving epidemic. I booked our plane tickets and took a sigh of relief.
the future looks grim
Suddenly the threat started creeping everywhere and it seemed anything but wise to set foot on a plane, much less foolishly travel internationally. We panicked some more — I cried a LOT — and we waited. We couldn’t afford to eat the cost of our non-refundable plane tickets and we were determined not to take another loss. Then our host in St. Lucia contacted me and told us the country was banning US travelers and we should postpone our trip. I’d been consumed with the news and the warnings to stay home for the sake of our community and this confirmed my fears. I was all but ready to pull the plug and wallow on the couch instead. Visions of beautiful pictures and memories washed down the drain for a shelter-in-place wedding.
a sweet ending
Jarod was determined not to let my dreams get crushed again though. He proposed a new plan: We drive to Colorado — interacting with as few gas stations as we could — stay in a remote cabin in the mountains, and drive home again. No airports, no big cities, no groups of people. I was still very wary, gun-shy to commit when things kept falling through. It all seemed so hopeless, dismal in the face of the current world.
But the point he made was one I couldn’t ignore. If God wanted this to happen, He’d make a way. And if not, no amount of effort on our part could force it. So I took a deep breath, a leap of faith, and said yes.
And guess what — we are MARRIED. It wasn’t Paris, but it was magical. We made a mountaintop commitment to love, cherish, and honor both one another and Christ with our marriage, and every roadblock was met with the sweetest solution.
photos by Alyssa Bell
lessons learned
Here are some of my key takeaways from this rollercoaster of an experience:
don’t buy travel packages you can’t get refunded
don’t buy more non-refundable travel packages in the middle of a growing epidemic
always have a backup plan
and a backup plan for your backup plan
remember why you’re getting married, and let that guide your steps
Of course, it didn’t hurt that I planned our whole ceremony myself, with the only "vendors” being my husband’s sister as our photographer (would highly recommend, check her out here) and her husband as our officiant. This made our plans flexible and for that, I am extremely grateful.
In the end, none of the details ended up mattering, only the man standing in front of me, pledging to stand by my side forever.
