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.
Kristine Borunda, who postponed her May 24th wedding at The Revery in Los Angeles, is sharing how she and her husband, Nick Borunda, made the final call and decided to have a micro wedding at a local park in Orange County.
At the end of March, the couple decided it was best for them to postpone their nuptials. “We didn’t feel safe bringing a large number of people together and didn’t want to put our loved ones lives at risk,” Kristine says. The two notified guests and moved their date to September—they may move it again.
However, once they found out the courts were open in Orange County and available for marriage licenses, Kristine and Nick decided to throw a micro wedding in about 10 days. “We repurposed as much as we could from my parents’ wedding, like the china and flatware,” she says. “We hit up Lowe’s three times to get supplies to create our own reception sweetheart table backdrop, and I reached out to our original wedding photographer and fleur•ish to bring the day to life and capture it.”
The couple found the perfect spot to exchange vows at a local park with a rose garden, and on the day-of, the groom wore a brown suit with gold bull skull collar tip detailing and Thursday Boots. The bride wore a For Love & Lemons mini dress, and Nick, who is a menswear designer at Freenote Cloth, made her veil and garter.
The two left her parents’ home, while The Pop Shop was setting up their balloon installation in the backyard. Only immediate family was invited to the “minimony” to ensure the safety of everyone and to follow CDC guidelines.
Kristine walked down the aisle with her father, while Tyler Varnell serenaded them with his saxophone. She met Nick and their officiant, John Garcia, and exchanged personal, handwritten vows. Once announced as husband and wife, the newlyweds got into their decorated getaway car and headed back to the house for dinner, where they were surprised by their closest friends, ready to celebrate.
In front of the home, they chatted with their friends in the street for about 10 minutes before heading inside. Everyone gathered around the table, set with light linens from Jay’s Catering Company, and sat on chairs from Orange County Party Rentals. “Our families made toasts, we cut our cake, and the rest of the night was filled with good food and laughter.”
Looking back, the couple is so happy to be married and thankful that they had the opportunity to have a micro wedding. “I do wish we were able to celebrate with all of our family and friends and do the traditional engaged couple things like a bridal shower and bachelor and bachelorette parties that we missed out on,” Kristine says. “Nick and I can’t wait to party with everyone at our future ‘re-wedding’ as I call it!”
