When the pandemic first began in March, I emailed all of my couples for the rest of 2020 to discuss plans. With one of my closest friends living in Rome, Italy – I was getting the daily play-by-play of how this was playing out there… and understood quickly what we in the states were about to be in for.

There were many postponements that happened quickly in those early months. All April, May, and June weddings quickly fell off my calendar. Many who were scheduled for the fall months decided to hang on for hope – albeit nervous about the unknown.

For Devon & Ben, the unknown was too much to shoulder. Although their wedding wasn’t until October, the risk was too high. Ben is from England, and with all of his family & friends making the trip over the pond to attend their Chicago wedding, not knowing if borders would be open was just too much to bear. Additionally, Devon is in the event industry and those of us in this field know how radical the change has been. It was an incredibly difficult decision to make – but they decided to postpone until October 2021.

Instead, on their would-be wedding date, they traveled down to Devon’s hometown of Cincinnati to celebrate with a handful of friends & make the most of the weekend. We decided to add a photoshoot to mark the day – complete with an intimate at-home session meets Vegas Elopement vibe (minus the actual elopement) at Hotel Covington.

Finally, they ended their time with me in a way that will stick with me for a long time. Back in the early Spring as wedding postponements were happening left & right, I made a post to social media that went semi-viral, being viewed by over 2 million people around the world… It clearly struck the heartstrings of a lot of couples amidst this painful choice. In the post, I suggested to them to still celebrate the date that their wedding was going to be on, by having their first dance at home. Pushing aside the furniture in their living room & focusing back on what matters the most during this difficult year: The two of you. Your wedding may be delayed, but your commitment isn’t. 2020 can rob us of a lot – but love can always win.

So on that day in their hotel room, Devon & Ben had their first dance. For someone who is usually present only on happy days, it was an unexpected punch in the gut to also feel the tangible pain in the room as they swayed, foreheads pressed together & tears falling. Yet still, there was beauty to be found in the reality that while they weren’t spending the day how they imagined – they were still spending it in each other’s arms.

And for that, we are grateful.
Until October, 2021. See you in Chicago, friends.

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