Our 1.0 Wedding during Covid19-Mummy why is the world broken?

​I wanted to write this as I feel its important to all the brides and grooms to give them some inspiration from what I/we just experienced.
We just tied the knot on the 1st of April 2020 our wedding 1.0 as my best friend says, which was the
day we would have met 3 years ago, it wasn’t what we planned at all, but we made it even more magical then we could have ever imagined in this time of COVID19.
And yes, its April fools but we got married after lunch LOL
We had 60 people coming to our wedding as we only wanted a very intimate wedding anyway but didn’t expect it to be this intimate LOL
2 weeks out and our PM announce weddings can only be 100 people or less.
We started to get phone calls from our loved ones that they felt unsafe to fly due to health reasons which we supported 110% even though it broke our hearts.
Our families wanted us to get married no matter what, and that they’d all be with us next year for our wedding 2.0
We had my beautiful mother in law and aunties with us from SA as they weren’t missing the 1.0 wedding.
One and half weeks out, we had 45 people coming in a room that could hold 200 so we were still in the guidelines. I got my hair done, nails, and lashes done. Then on the Wednesday night our PM told the country weddings can only be 5 people max. Was we devastated?  Honestly NO, we were more devastated to how this impacted Australia and their business, jobs ECT as we all were.
I was a bit relieved regarding the wedding numbers as I felt people would feel uncomfortable and would be better to do it properly next year anyway with everyone where they will feel safe.
We all decided that our mum and aunties needed to get back home ASAP after hearing that so that’s what they did safely and are quarantining like the rest of us.
We were still allowed to get married with our amazing celebrant and our 2 witnesses who are husband and wife and they are also our BFF’s.
My BFF introduced me to my now husband exactly 3years ago on our wedding date. For this and everything they have done for us we are eternally grateful for.
My BFF was going to be our MC for our wedding and witness, she had organised our hens and buck’s night, and had organised the night before the wedding, that all had to be cancelled obviously. She has defiantly been my rock, not once did she or I complain because we were all in this together, (I love that saying). We just rolled with it.  And as her saying goes, be like a palm tree and just go with the wind. I only felt bad/sad for her as OMG all the effort and love she had put into our special lead up. From MC to witness, to planner, to last minute bridesmaid as I needed her to hold my flowers LOL
Her Hubby was also a part of our ceremony, but lucky for us he still did his thing and then also got to be our witness.
Our children were going to be our bridesmaids and groomsmen, they will get their time next year, which is exciting to see, another thing to look forward to.
We were determined, hubby had already put up fairy lights in our yard and had done it up ready for our daughters 18th birthday which was going to be 2 nights after our wedding with all the family.
I had already made all our wedding props ect, so we were very lucky in that way as we are a very creative family.
So, it was decided to get married in our yard, which ironically was our original plan. Hubby did the most amazing job putting it altogether he’s so clever. Well he does do Halloween every year so that goes without saying. @australianhalloweenking   LOL
 
We had a few options; do we just do the wham bam thank you mam vows or do we do our proper vows?
My BFF advised this is your practice run. If you feel you need to add in more to your vows next year then you have that opportunity to do so. We ran with that advise to make it special, because at the end of the day this was the date we wanted, it was our special date and no one was taking that away from us, it’s the magical day we will never forget no matter where we got married.
 
Did I want my hubby to be to see my dress was my next question?
He said he couldn’t wait another 12mths and neither could I.  I chose to wear my custom made dress, and lucky for me my dress maker is a long-time family friend who has offered to make it even more special for next year.
We dressed up all the kids in their outfits and it just felt even more special along with our witness’s.
 
What about our children that can’t even be at our wedding?
This was our hardest challenge in our hearts and minds.
As our youngest is 5 and a week before the 1.0 wedding I had told him that we might not be able to get married this year, he said, Why mummy is it because the world is broken? 
In that moment my heart dropped, I felt that was another reason why we had to do it now for our children who were so excited for the wedding as well.  For our families to be united.
After we got married our youngest asked, Mummy when are all the other people coming. Awe how cute, made my heart drop a beat again, but I told him, this year it's only going to be us and that’s enough. Next year we will do it all again and the people will be able to come. #blesshim
 
We did ask the government hotline the question, if they are in isolation with us why can’t they stand with us, but we still followed the rules and even though they were inside watching while we was outside getting married I think it turned out even better. It was just hubby and I and it couldn’t have been more intimate.
 
Our neighbours who were coming to the main wedding got dressed up and watched form their yard, that was so beautiful to see.
 
Once our celebrant left, our amazing photographer came to take some pics. Our 2 witness/BFF took the most amazing pics of our ceremony all the pics our photographer would have taken and that we are eternally grateful for.
 
Our night turned out to be the most intimate and amazing night of our lives, one we will never forget, because we didn’t give up on our special date. Our wedding was about us uniting as one, and our 2 families becoming one. And that’s exactly what we got, with the support of our families and friends, Because at the end of the day it’s about the marriage not the wedding.
 
My daughter will get her 18th birthday party we have planned, as all is on hold.
 
My Aunty will get to walk me down the aisle next year like we planned.
 
Our family and friends will get to witness us getting married on our 1st year anniversary and party into the night as we planned and that’s even more special.
 
And you know what, at least we will all feel safe and be safe when that time does come. That’s the important part.
 
Without our families love and support to still get married this year we might have held off. But that’s what would have crushed our spirit as we couldn’t wait another year to get married and to be able to call each other husband and wife, nor could our Children or families.
 
Our friends are due to be married soon, and they are doing the same as us, and we will be right by their sides as their witness.
 
But for those who do wait, when the day does come, and it will, it will be bigger better and even more amazing.
 
We have all got one year to make it that extra special and I’m excited about that so is hubby and the kids. We’ve got one year to save more, one year to get healthier one year to enjoy the process of engagement of the marriage to come.
Written by Rachael Burgess.