Reminiscing - not quite a wedding anniversary.
Today's date is an anniversary. Two years ago today my daughter and her fiancé were due to marry.
Over the 2 or 3 weeks preceding the wedding day the pandemic began to be more than a tiny blip on the horizon and they had seen their plans change and change and change, almost daily. They had to cancel their honeymoon in Tahiti, then the new honeymoon in England had to be cancelled, and eventually a third one in a local hotel, too. The reception could no longer happen as planned, their caterers offered to host a smaller one in their café, then the rules changed again and they had to cancel; the wedding venue could now only take 30 people, but we could have a champagne toast, then they could only take 10, then it could only be the registrar with the bride, groom, and their two fathers as witnesses... and on the 26th of March even that was cancelled as the island went into strict lockdown.
I look back in my journal and on the afternoon of the 26th my daughter said "Ah well, we gave it our best shot!" and I took a photo of my spare bedroom -
An unworn wedding dress and bridesmaid's dress.
On the 28th March 2020 both daughter and fiancé posted this message on their Facebook pages;
Today was supposed to be our wedding day 😭 We have planned so many weddings and honeymoons over the last fortnight to overcome each setback again and again and again. We are thoroughly exhausted. Thank you to everyone who sent us messages and kind wishes throughout, it really means a lot ❤
We have encountered so many people whose lives are being affected by this virus, and whilst each plan b, c and d for us gave empty hope that we could still tie the knot on an increasingly less 'big' day, at least we still have jobs and know that at the end of all this we can get what we want just later than planned. But for the beauticians 💅 hairdressers 💇♀️ caterers 🥖 catteries 😿 guesthouses 🏩florists 💐and so many more this is their livelihoods in the balance. Each of their plan b, c and d was a means for survival that with each daily press conference was taken from them. I am sure they are just as exhausted and with an awful lot more at stake.
When we do get married perhaps the best gifts we could ask for would be those that support local businesses - we are big fans of eating and drinking...
I cried. It was such a thoughtful message rather than a 'poor us' one.
And then we hunkered down to lockdown, fearful of what might come.
But, of course, we managed to make our island covid-free for almost 8 months from May 2020 and they had a wonderful, memorable, wedding on the 28th of August 2020 which, whilst not the same as the original one would have been, and a honeymoon of 3 days spent only 5 miles from home, was so much 'them' that none of us can imagine the original could have been as personal or as joyous.
And, despite further lockdowns and setbacks, the beautician, hairdresser, caterers, florist, and so on who were part of the original plan, were there for the actual wedding - and are all still in business - more than we could all have hoped for 2 years ago today.
Over the 2 or 3 weeks preceding the wedding day the pandemic began to be more than a tiny blip on the horizon and they had seen their plans change and change and change, almost daily. They had to cancel their honeymoon in Tahiti, then the new honeymoon in England had to be cancelled, and eventually a third one in a local hotel, too. The reception could no longer happen as planned, their caterers offered to host a smaller one in their café, then the rules changed again and they had to cancel; the wedding venue could now only take 30 people, but we could have a champagne toast, then they could only take 10, then it could only be the registrar with the bride, groom, and their two fathers as witnesses... and on the 26th of March even that was cancelled as the island went into strict lockdown.
I look back in my journal and on the afternoon of the 26th my daughter said "Ah well, we gave it our best shot!" and I took a photo of my spare bedroom -
An unworn wedding dress and bridesmaid's dress.
On the 28th March 2020 both daughter and fiancé posted this message on their Facebook pages;
Today was supposed to be our wedding day 😭 We have planned so many weddings and honeymoons over the last fortnight to overcome each setback again and again and again. We are thoroughly exhausted. Thank you to everyone who sent us messages and kind wishes throughout, it really means a lot ❤
We have encountered so many people whose lives are being affected by this virus, and whilst each plan b, c and d for us gave empty hope that we could still tie the knot on an increasingly less 'big' day, at least we still have jobs and know that at the end of all this we can get what we want just later than planned. But for the beauticians 💅 hairdressers 💇♀️ caterers 🥖 catteries 😿 guesthouses 🏩florists 💐and so many more this is their livelihoods in the balance. Each of their plan b, c and d was a means for survival that with each daily press conference was taken from them. I am sure they are just as exhausted and with an awful lot more at stake.
When we do get married perhaps the best gifts we could ask for would be those that support local businesses - we are big fans of eating and drinking...
I cried. It was such a thoughtful message rather than a 'poor us' one.
And then we hunkered down to lockdown, fearful of what might come.
But, of course, we managed to make our island covid-free for almost 8 months from May 2020 and they had a wonderful, memorable, wedding on the 28th of August 2020 which, whilst not the same as the original one would have been, and a honeymoon of 3 days spent only 5 miles from home, was so much 'them' that none of us can imagine the original could have been as personal or as joyous.
And, despite further lockdowns and setbacks, the beautician, hairdresser, caterers, florist, and so on who were part of the original plan, were there for the actual wedding - and are all still in business - more than we could all have hoped for 2 years ago today.