Now that it’s crystal clear that hosting a wedding at this time is just not possible due to the spread of COVID-19, we’re sharing the experiences of real couples navigating the re-scheduling or cancellation process in an attempt to help others make informed decisions and to show our support to all during this time.

Emery Damon Everhart, who postponed her wedding in Florida, is sharing how she and her husband, Jack Fall Everhart III, made the final call and why they decided to have an intimate wedding at-home in the meantime.

Emery and Jack’s wedding was scheduled for early spring at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida, but three weeks before, they realized that they’d have to postpone due to COVID-19. After breaking the news to family and friends, they both decided that their original wedding date meant a lot to them, and they still wanted to tie the knot on that day, even if it meant a more intimate ceremony and reception. They reached out to their local pastor, and friends and family came together (while maintaining a six-foot distance) to attend the wedding in Midland, Texas.

“I probably ordered ten dresses online and realized the FRIDAY before that they were not going to make it in time due to shipping delays, so my local store Nines Apparel SAVED the day with the most beautiful Ulla Johnson Gianna eyelet midi dress,” Emery says. Once they were both ready, the couple headed to the church around 12:30 p.m. for their 30-minute ceremony, and then fewer than 10 people gathered at their home for the reception.

As for their bigger destination wedding, they’re hoping to reschedule for June but have alternative dates in July and August on hold as well.

“We have both realized that it’s not so much where you get married but who you are marrying,” Emery explains. “While we still plan to do a full reception at Ocean Reef—where we met—one day like we originally planned, we are so glad that we were able to just focus on the true meaning of love and the whole point of a wedding in the first place.”