Change of plans: COVID-19 made us realize that our wedding was never about the big celebration

It was about giving hope to the community with a message that love always wins.

As a result of the global coronavirus pandemic, couples around the world have to make a very difficult - and often heartbreaking - decision to cancel, postpone or adjust their best wedding plans. To share your stories and hopefully help our readers process this undeniably emotional and fluid situation, we ask those affected to share their "Change of Plans" stories in their own words. Next, Javier Ruisanchez tells his story from Washington, D.C.

Growing up, I always dreamed of what my wedding day would be like. When I was a gay boy, I never thought I would get married; people like me didn't get to have the "happy endings" like I saw in the movies.

That feeling changed quickly when I met Michael. It was love at first sight and I knew that one day I would marry him. On November 18, 2018, in Stafford, Virginia, Michael got down on one knee and proposed to me in the middle of a photoshoot. Little did he know, he had already planned a proposal in Paris. Very early in the morning of March 2019, I too knelt (in the rain!) And proposed to the love of my life in front of the Eiffel Tower.

That feeling changed quickly when I met Michael. It was love at first sight and I knew that one day I would marry him.

We knew immediately that we would get married in Puerto Rico because that's where I'm from. It is also a special place for us as a couple, as we worked with the Red Cross on the island after Hurricane Maria. We decided that we would get married in the mountains at the top of the rainforest on August 8, 2020 (Growing up and going to El Yunque National Forest was one of the most monumental moments of my life). Our place, Hacienda Azucena, is located on top of a mountain with the view of the rainforest and the ocean.

It has the most amazing view, and when we stood at the place where we would say "Yes, I do," we knew we had found our place.

When we stood at the place where we would say "Yes, I do," we knew we had found our place.

For the next year and a half, we planned the wedding of our dreams with the help of suppliers from Puerto Rico, as we wanted to give back to the island that gave me so much growth. We made the decision to have our guests and bridesmaids all wear white. We love fashion, so we wanted everyone to look elegant as well as modern and chic. Regarding the decoration, we decided to have our reception under a transparent tent so that everyone could see the beauty of the island: yellow lights, white flowers and golden details, it was about amplifying the beauty that the place already had. .

Every part of the wedding planning journey was exciting because we were always working on something new for the wedding. Everyone told us that the few months leading up to the wedding would be filled with sheer excitement and last minute details, and we were ready to do everything together. Honestly, we were prepared for everything ... except a global pandemic.

During the month of March we were distracted. We continue planning. They all told us how excited they were to get their flights, book their hotel rooms, shop for their outfits, and ask us if we needed any help. We were hoping that COVID-19 wouldn't take over the day we had planned for months. March flew by and we still hoped to have all of our friends and family on the island to celebrate our big day. Then April and May passed and June came. For a second, we still had some hope as some states were reopening.

It wasn't until our wedding venue contacted us on June 8 that the reality began: Thanks to COVID-19 restrictions, our guest list should be limited to immediate family members. It was hard to hear because what little hope we had had gone out the window. After talking to our parents, siblings, and wedding providers, we realized that the best option was to postpone our wedding until next summer. We wanted everyone to stay safe and healthy, and we really felt it was our responsibility to put it off.

We wanted everyone to stay safe and healthy, and we really felt it was our responsibility to put it off.

For me, it was difficult, but Michael continually assured me that the way he felt was okay. He said that it was normal to be sad because we had put in so much time and effort to make the day unforgettable, but he also helped me realize that there were thousands of couples going through the same process. He said that something good comes out of every bad situation.

When July rolled around, we had gradually begun to accept the fact that the wedding of our dreams would not be possible. But we still wanted to get married, so we decided to elope on July 18, 2020! We sent a message to an officiant, we contacted our decorator, José Luis, and we sent an invitation to all our family and friends so that they could join us virtually. Then, just four days before we were married, the governor of Puerto Rico closed all beaches and public areas.

Our plan was to elope to the beach, so at this point, we felt like the world didn't really want us to get married. Fortunately, José Luis, who was our angel during this process, saved us: he found a new place in the mountains of Trujillo Alto and was able to get everything, flowers, chairs and decorations, in just three days to make us feel special.