SUGAR LAND, Texas — “Near, far, wherever you are…Our wedding will go on!”
Those were the words printed on the bottom of Tony and Jessica’s wedding photo shared to Facebook.
And no, this isn't an old wedding photo, but a photo captured Saturday during the couple's very small ceremony.
As we all know the coronavirus has canceled pretty much every event and large gathering worldwide. The Centers for Disease Control even advised weddings to be canceled. But these newlyweds decided to go forward with their vows at First Colony Church of Christ -- still adhering to CDC guidelines -- with only 10 people present, including themselves and the pastor.
“Within the past week alone everything changed. The steakhouse where we had the venue canceled on us. The quartet had to cancel,” said Tony Huang.
But despite all the trouble the couple just knew they wanted to get married.
“I had full confidence we were still going to have the full wedding. It was just a matter of making major changes,” said Jessica Stein.
It was a difficult decision to make on who would actually attend the wedding, but the seven guests who were present all had an intricate part in making sure Tony and Jessica's special day was as memorable as they planned, despite the sudden changes.
One guest committed to holding a laptop during the entire ceremony so the 60+ who couldn't physically be present could watch via ZOOM, while another guest took on the role of DJ by playing music from their iPad.
“It turned into a quick pivot position. Like we had to call our friends. And had to pick our friends who are experts and professionals in certain things,” said Tony. "It was much better because everyone had a front-row seat,” said Tony.
Through pandemic and all, this couple showed everyone that their love and happiness is strong.
A message they want to share with others.
“Nothing should stop this. We should pivot and just adapt to this. And nothing should stop the happiness in life itself,” said Tony.
Tony and Jessica are one of few couples who decided to proceed with their wedding amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Many couples have either had to cancel their wedding altogether or postpone it to a later date due to the CDC guidelines of avoiding gatherings with 10 or more people.
These guidelines have caused quite the turmoil for event planners and venue owners, but they are hoping things get back to normal soon.
MORE ON CORONAVIRUS:
Coronavirus symptoms
The symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include a fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Most healthy people will have mild symptoms. A study of more than 72,000 patients by the Centers for Disease Control in China showed 80 percent of the cases there were mild.
But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk.
The CDC believes symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 14 days after being exposed.
Human coronaviruses are usually spread through...
- The air by coughing or sneezing
- Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
- Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands.
Help stop the spread of coronavirus
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Eat and sleep separately from your family members
- Use different utensils and dishes
- Cover your cough or sneeze with your arm, not your hand.
- If you use a tissue, throw it in the trash.
Lower your risk
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- If you are 60 or over and have an underlying health condition such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or respiratory illnesses like asthma or COPD, the World Health Organization advises you to try to avoid crowds or places where you might interact with people who are sick.
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