By Hanna Wickes
“Our wedding day was bittersweet,” said Katelyn Faliski of her March 27th ceremony. With her mother testing positive for Coronavirus and her wedding scheduled in the beginning of a widespread pandemic, Faliski knew it wasn’t safe for her older relatives to attend. “Everything was just starting to shut down and there were new rules and changes every day.”
“We postponed our big reception 10 days out and then had to reschedule all our vendors. Our original church cancelled on us a week before our wedding and we had to scramble to find a new one. We also had to get a new marriage license 3 days before our wedding!”
Faliski had a small and intimate church wedding with three guests: her sister, her husband’s brother, and his wife. “We then went back to our house and celebrated with takeout from our favorite local Italian restaurant and a small wedding cake from our original bakery. We even saved a slice to have next year.”
Their original venue was the Stone House at Stirling Ridge in Warren, NJ. Katelyn and her husband still plan to renew their vows there next year for their one-year anniversary, with at least 150 guests.
“I learned a lot from this experience, but at the end of the day it's about you and your partner and the start of the next chapter in your life! Also, that if you can get through the stress and all of the emotions that come with postponing or changing your wedding during a global pandemic you're gonna be alright!”
Faliski said she thinks her wedding photos reflect the times. “I didn't get to wear my original wedding dress and my husband just wore a suit he already owned. My bouquet was made of flowers from a bodega! This is history in the making and something that we will tell our kids and grandkids about. We definitely have a story to tell and truly a day we will never forget!”
Faliski’s advice to other couples marrying during the current environment: “It's okay to be sad and upset. We all just spent months planning our perfect day. These are difficult times and no ones to blame. Also, now there are no more rules. You can literally do whatever you want. Cancel, postpone, elope. All of the rules and traditions are gone. Have fun!”