I’ll never forget the way it played out. Sunday, March 15th, my husband and I were celebrating his birthday with beers and BBQ at Wild Acre in Fort Worth, talking about the year ahead and this crazy new virus that was starting to spread in cities like Seattle and NYC. I remember telling him that I was worried about all the people flying in from out of state for Lauren + Jack’s wedding at Brik in only six short days, but he reassured me that even if a few people had to drop out, it would still be a great party (and, knowing Lauren + Jack, I knew it was true!). Honestly, I really wasn’t that worried – we were at a bar right then, surrounded by strangers, after all – but then, between that day and the next, absolutely everything changed.
When I turned on the news the next morning, the world as we knew it had turned upside-down. There were press conferences, statements issued, new rules and regulations popping up that differed from city to city and county to county. Everything was shutting down – including wedding venues. Including Brik. On the surface, business ground to a halt… but when you’re a wedding planner, there’s never a stopping point. Suddenly I was scrambling. Just in the next two months, we had six weddings, and I knew that all of them were going to be completely and totally upended in every possible way, but my first thought was of Lauren + Jack – and their wedding that was only five days away.
It was devastating to have to call Lauren and have the discussion about how to choose a new date, what to say to their 150 guests, and what our next steps should be. We spent many teary-eyed hours on the phone that week, figuring out how to proceed. I was heartbroken for her and I felt awful because, for the first time in my professional life, I didn’t have the answers. Every single hour brought a new wave of “unprecedented,” and all I could do was be there for her and try to help her navigate the difficult circumstances of postponing a wedding.
But through it all, Lauren + Jack stayed undeterred. They were still going to get married on March 21st. And they did – in the backyard of their beautiful home, surrounded by only their very closest family and their incredible photography team, Laning Photography, which captured the deep emotions of the day.
Lauren + Jack are a perfect reminder that love overcomes absolutely everything that this world can throw at us. They were devastated by the way it all happened – I remember Lauren saying, “If we had only scheduled our wedding for one week earlier” – but in the end, their joy from becoming husband and wife was able to carry them through.
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Photo: Laning Photography
Floral: Alba Dahlia Floral
Lauren’s Dress: Lulu’s
