Confession of a Pandemic Bride

BY DARIA BEDDARD

met Eddie on May 13, 2016, in Florida the weekend before he moved back up to North Carolina. I thought for sure we’d never see each other again. Almost a year later, we had our first date and dated long distance for about a year. After Hurricane Irma hit in September of 2017, we made the decision that I would be making the move to be with him in Greenville. Two years later, almost to the date, I made the move.

On August 18, 2019, my life was forever changed when the love of my life, Eddie proposed to me. We were in Savannah, Georgia, and I had ruined all his plans as far as the details of how it was going to go down. He had never been there before and I, being a lover of all things Savannah, basically changed everything he wanted to do. It was late, and hot, and I could hear the dog barking in our rented-out apartment, but when he insisted that we kept on walking, I knew what was happening. He could barely get out the words before I burst into tears and said yes.

I wasted no time starting to plan. I mean, like most women, (I think), I had a Pinterest board saved with all the decorations, dresses, rings, and all the other stuff. I found a place that had my dream dress, and my best friend was coming into town to start all the festivities.

Labor Day weekend came, and, before it was all said and done, I knew almost all the details of the wedding, including where I was getting married, how I needed to order my dress, the menu options, drink options, and at least half the guest list.

I set up a website that was free to have people RSVP so that I didn’t have to track anything extra. It also allowed me to have all my details readily accessible to the family members including my registry, directions to the venue, surrounding hotels, and the closest airports. I had never in my life felt more prepared months in advance of something so major.

I should have known then it was too good to be true. By February 2020, we started getting RSVPs in, and family mem-

bers were making reservations for flights and hotel rooms. My best friend had also arranged my bachelorette party in Nashville, with fun plans to visit all the museums and karaoke bars. It was, no doubt, going to be epic.

March 11 came, and I was wheels up in a plane heading to “Nashvegas.” We knew that some things had already shut down, but we weren’t letting this stop us! We had no clue what was to come. As we got settled into our Airbnb, we learned of more places on our list that had shut down. We continued to say, “It’s OK! We’ll find things to do!” Some of our plans weren’t ruined, but some had to be completely rearranged. Overall, the bachelorette party was a win.

On March 15, I sat there in disbelief, along with the rest of the nation, as I watched the country start to shut down. Two weeks, that’s what we were told. At this point, I wasn’t making any changes. It was two weeks later that I started to have a mild panic attack. Schools were going to remain virtual through the end of the school year. I knew that was going to impact so may things. I remember bawling.

You see, May 15 was our wedding date. We picked that because of the significance of all of our big things happening in May. It became very clear that a May wedding would not be safe, and I couldn’t imagine having another date. But, because of the situation at hand, I couldn’t knowingly put our older family members at risk for our own selfish needs. My grandmother has already battled through severe pneumonia, and if she caught COVID, it was likely she wouldn’t survive. So, we were able to easily change our date to Labor Day weekend, thankfully.

We still got married on May 15 with my mom, my aunt, his mom, and his stepfather present, along with two of our very dear friends. We were not going to give up our date, but we could always do the big celebration later.

By July, it was clear that things weren’t getting any better. We contacted our vendors to cancel in hopes that we could plan something down the road. Our photographer and the photo-booth gladly refunded us with complete understanding, but the venue would not refund our deposit.

We considered legal action. But after speaking to a lawyer, we realized it could have taken months to get to the end of it, and while the money was important, my mental health was more important.

As Labor Day came and went, the emotions of not having our special day were heavy on my heart. I had already had my dress and it was being tailored, and I still had dreams of me being able to wear it. After speaking to my dear friend who is a photographer, we decided that we were going to do a bridal photography session. Eddie and I never got a chance to say our own vows, have a first dance, or even have professional pictures to celebrate us. I wanted at least that. So we planned it for Nov. 20, and, while the plans didn’t go exactly as we thought they would, the day was so magical and filled with love. Being able to share those moments with my husband and to have a day to express our love, even if it’s six months later, was a day we’ll never forget. The plus side is that we can celebrate twice a year now!

A FEW NOTES I WOULD PASS ON TO FUTURE BRIDES:

• No matter what happens, do not lose sight of sharing a special day with your spouse. In reality, while you want to be surrounded by family and friends, it truly is just about you. • Get yourself the website. Even though things didn’t work out the way I thought they would, the website was so helpful in helping me keep organized. I was able to link my registry and all. • There are wristbands now that you can order for your guests to wear that are color coded. It allows people to see who’s comfortable with what kind of interaction. The ones I saw included no contact, elbow bumps, and full on hugs. • Most importantly, do not plan your wedding on making other people happy. Make a day that will live with love in your hearts for the rest of your lives. I’m sure glad I did!

Daria Beddard is a newlywed and a Florida transplant to eastern NC. She loves spending time with her husband, animals, and friends and has always wanted seasons, so the autumns have not disappointed her at all. She is a partner with Trades of Hope. For more information, visit her website, www.tradesofhope.com/Dariamitsos.

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