A Socially Distant Ceremony Connected People From Afar

Sara and Tristan had originally planned for international family members to attend a September wedding in the bride’s hometown. But as the pandemic progressed, the couple had to devise a new strategy and instead planned a June wedding in just four weeks. They visited a local nursery and transformed the backyard of Sara’s childhood home with ornate blossoms, tying the event together with a banner reading “Can’t Quarantine Our Love” – all so they could tie the knot on the fifth anniversary of their first date. Luckily, Sara had picked up a sample size dress created by Australian designer Karen Willis Holmes in January, so she was already prepared to walk down the aisle in the gorgeous beaded number. For decor, they embraced their new venue, hanging string lights across the backyard and exchanging vows in front of a simple altar adorned with white flowers. Matching "Mr. & Mrs." masks topped off their pandemic preparations. They downsized their guest list to only 10 people – in accordance with guidelines at the time – and offered prepackaged snacks and wedding favors as well as hand sanitizer bottles personalized with their names. 

But Sara and Tristan still wanted their remaining friends and family to join the celebration. To do so, they set up a live stream, which allowed people to witness the festivities from afar. A few local friends stopped by for a champagne “drive-by” reception between the ceremony and the dinner. Sharing their first dance in the driveway of Sara’s childhood home, the couple was able to craft an intimate moment in the midst of uncertain times.