Now that it’s crystal clear that hosting a big 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, cancellation, and civil and commemorative wedding processes in an attempt to help others make informed decisions and to spread our support to all during this time.
Grace Lafaire, who postponed her June 20th wedding, is sharing how she and her husband, Matthew Goldstein, made the final call and decided to have an at-home micro wedding on their original date.
At first, the financial analyst at Draper James, Reese Witherspoon’s lifestyle and apparel brand, decided to schedule her wedding at home for the summer solstice, June 20th. But after they postponed in mid-March, once COVID-19 lockdowns started becoming more strict, they cut their guest list from 200 to 20 and began to plan a micro wedding. “The last thing I would want would be for someone to receive our invitation and feel guilty about RSVP-ing ‘No’ out of safety concerns,” she shares. Their bigger celebration has been moved to the same weekend in 2021.
As they had always planned to host their celebration at home, they were thankful to have the flexibility to get married in a smaller ceremony at the same venue. To help them plan and design everything, they relied on L. Marie Events, Scarsella’s Flowers, and Elite Tent & Party Rental. And to capture beautiful images of the day, they hired Liz Banfield. “Our wedding was really inspired by Father of the Bride,” Grace says. “My dad is a true George Banks, and we loved the charm and beauty of the home wedding in that movie.”
To walk down the aisle, Grace and her mother were “pretty hellbent” on getting her original wedding dress delivered to the house on time. Her mom DMed designer Peter Langner, who worked with Mark Ingram Atelier to make sure it arrived swiftly. “I would not have felt as bridal without my dress and veil,” the bride says. Matt wore a white dinner jacket and matched both of the fathers too. Bridesmaids wore their Amsale silk faille gowns, and the mother-of-the-bride looked radiant in her Lee Anderson Couture custom look.
On the day-of, Grace got her beauty done by Amy Klewitz Beauty and then headed outside to the altar, escorted by her father. Their ceremony was in the front yard, so after they were joyously announced as husband and wife, they walked with their guests to the backyard for the tented reception.
“I am so thankful my mom and dad hosted this celebration for us,” Grace says. “My mom has some serious patience for putting up with me during this process!”
