Wedding venues and couples alike have been taking a hit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
With social distancing guidelines set forth by public health officials since March, group gatherings like those you'd see at weddings are harder to facilitate safely. Unfortunately, this means plenty of cancellations and postponements.
The Legacy Barn, a venue in Barnett, has seen several such cancellations for the next couple months, one couple being Sidney Draffen and A.J. Tippin.
"Originally, our date was May 30, and we kind of held off for a while because we weren't sure how fast this was going to blow over," Draffen said.
The couple decided to postpone to July 25 to get ahead of the curve, with hopes the spread of COVID-19 dies down over the summer. Luckily, their vendors were understanding with the change of date, and they're able to still have their dream wedding.
"Communication is key - talk to everybody, talk to the vendors and figure out where everybody's at first," Tippin said. "Obviously, we have never been married. We didn't know what the right thing to do was with the virus. Nobody knows what the right thing to do is. Just talk to people, get advice and just do what's best for you, that's what we had to do. We have a bit of a time crunch and so we just said we're going to do what's best for us and make everything work with that."
Another couple, Krystal Burnett and Cody Brandow, were planning for May 2.
"We heard about COVID-19, and I think in the very beginning, we were just like everybody else. We were really worried about it and then when it got worse and worse, we started worrying (more)," Burnett said. "And we're both really stubborn and strong-headed people, so it wasn't until early April that we decided we wouldn't be able to have it."
But with Brandow's family being in New York and the uncertainty around COVID-19, they decided to wait until August 8. Burnett said making the decision to move from a date that had become special to the pair as they anticipated it was tough, however.
"I think that because we planned about a year and a half for it, I think it became a special day, so it was kind of hard," Burnett said. "I had it marked on my calendar, I had everything planned, so it was kind of hard going through there and marking it out. It was definitely hard, but I really think that (by) having everybody there and happy and healthy it's going to be so much better."
The plan is to get married at Big Rock Church with the reception of about 200 guests at The Legacy Barn, but there were moments they weighed their options, Burnett said.
"There were a few times where I told Cody we should just go to the courthouse and get married, but he was like 'We should hold out, this is going to be our big day,' so everything is kind of uncertain with this whole thing. It's just day by day," Burnett said.
In the end, Burnett said she believes that all of this has happened for a reason and that her special day will come.
"Everything happens for a reason, and sometimes, we can't really understand the reason. But I feel like, in the end, we may be able to understand it. Just don't give up on your special day. I don't know when it will be, I don't know how, but you will get your special day, and I think once you hold out for it, and once you walk through something like we're going through now we'll be stronger together, so don't give up," Burnett said.