Man, 2020 was a year that brought on a whole lot of heartache. Being in the wedding industry, I saw it on a weekly – sometimes daily – basis. It broke me and weighed so heavy on my heart watching my couples and their families make some of the hardest decisions for their wedding day. Knowing that the years (not to mention the money spent) of dreaming it up were being thrown away has made getting married during COVID incredibly tricky, and with many roadblocks. It’s been a tough year to say the least!
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Yet, I still believe that even in the darkest of times you can find some light in each situation. It turns out, a lot of my couples would agree! I decided to compile some snippets of what my 2020 couples have said about their day and how their plans turned out. It’s given me so much hope seeing how each of them decided to make the most out of the curveballs life through at them this year. Scroll through to take a look at what some of my ALP couples have to say about getting married during COVID in 2020:

Baylee + Pete

“Planning a 2020 wedding wasn’t the easiest, but at the end of the day we always said to each other, all that matters is that we get married and we share the rest of our lives together no matter how the wedding day looks.”

Lauren + Kurtis

“Getting married in 2020 taught us to appreciate what marriage is truly about and to set aside the silly little things, because in the grand scheme of things, they don’t matter one bit”

Jeni + Andrew

“We are so happy we chose to keep our original wedding date, even though it was in the middle of a pandemic. Our venue and vendors were extremely accommodating and we felt that we were keeping all of our guests safe. Our wedding was smaller than we originally planned, but the friends and family that came were so special to us. We also received the sweetest calls and cards from friends and family members that weren’t able to come, which made our day. We had the best time celebrating the start of our lives together (and not just because of all the Polish vodka). 

Our mantra about many of our whims is “there’s never going to be a perfect time” and that is definitely the case with 2020 and getting married during COVID. We have learned a lot, but mostly that married life is much better than wedding planning during a pandemic 🙂

We are so excited to see our pictures and have this crazy year to look back on!”

Taylor + Jake

“Honestly, 2020 taught me to go with my gut! Don’t wait for anything! Simple, small weddings can be absolutely beautiful. I realized the intimacy of 2020 brought my wedding was absolutely worth all the heartache I originally thought we would have. Ended things feeling even MORE blessed! And DO THE DAMN DESTINATION WEDDING !!!!”

Alyssa + Chris

“Hosting an intimate wedding ceremony was a dream we never knew we wanted, so we thank 2020 for giving us our favorite day”

Addy + Joel

“Our tiny 2020 wedding was perfect and allowed us to relax and enjoy the moment with the people who mean the most to us!”

Margaret + Patrick

“Our original large wedding turned into an intimate, dreamy backyard wedding this summer. It was filled with rain, sunshine, thunder, lightning, and ended in a rainbow. Getting married in 2020 was just that—a storm that ended with the most beautiful day of our lives. We love our COVID love story”

Megan + Cody

“We had a micro wedding in June + a reception later in October due to COVID.

Within the span of 6 months, we changed our wedding plans 3 times, + changed our venue twice. 

The one thing  that hasn’t changed and has been consistent is our love for one another. As stressful as planning a wedding in 2020 was, all that mattered was finally being able to call each other husband + wife. We are so happy to have hired ALP to be a part of the (two) most special days of our entire lives.”

Sophia + Tanner

“We are thankful for our 2020 wedding. It taught us that it was truly about us becoming husband and wife. No matter what happened, we did what we had to do and we went for it! And our day could not of been more perfect. It always works out.”

Erin + Joe

“Getting married during COVID in 2020 has been an experience we will never forget. It was very upsetting, and difficult decisions had to be made. But through it all we realized it’s not about the fancy decorations, the vendors, or the budget. The most important thing was our lifelong  commitment to each other and the love and joy that will continue on. We are so blessed to have such incredibly supportive families, and the abundance of love we have felt from so many of our loved ones has been truly amazing!”

Sami + Ike

“Getting married during COVID in 2020 was truly an adventure. It taught us that life changes and quickly at that, but what matters is the people you are surrounded by and the love you share with one another.”

Liana + Mike

“From George Strait: 

“When The World Isn’t Going Your Way,

Whatever Bad Luck Is Getting You Down,

Honey, I’ll Be Right Here for You,

With Open Arms, You Can Run to Me,

Baby, Love’s Gonna Make It Alright” 

Mike quoted this song at the end of his speech at our wedding reception, he heard it on the ride to his parent’s after our rehearsal dinner the night before our wedding and it hit home.”

Sydney + Chris

“Having a wedding during the pandemic may not have been the wedding we thought we wanted but was exactly what our hearts had dreamed of. The simplicity and intimacy allowed us to treasure every moment.”

Faith + Justin

“This year taught us about what really matters when getting married, and that’s the love between two people that will last a lifetime.”

Sydney + Jordan

“Social media has a way of distracting engaged couples from the true meaning of getting married. When COVID-19 happened and we knew we weren’t going to be able to have the wedding we planned, all the time spent on Pinterest boards, boxes of DIY supplies and custom décor completely faded away. All you can think about is ‘how can I marry the person I love with the people that matter most to me present’? We had to get creative, and it was never what we thought it would be, but it was exactly what we wanted. No frills, but we were married! We started our lives without waiting for a virus’s permission. In my opinion, that’s what it should be about! Everyone says it’s supposed to be the ‘best’ day of your life. I say, its just the beginning!”

Megan + Alec

2020 was God’s way of showing us that the reason behind a wedding is the marriage, not about the party. Cutting our 200+ wedding down to 14 turned out to be the most beautiful decision. Our day was exactly how it was supposed to be, and we were able to create authentic, incredible memories with the most import people in our lives.”

Wanna learn more about Ali Lockery Photography? Contact me!