Change of plans: I married my best friend in what became our "Plan D" wedding.

We didn't have a band or a cake or any of the things that come to mind when you hear the word 'wedding', but none of that mattered.

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. Below, Lisa Conley tells her story from Germantown, Maryland.

October 19, 2019 was the happiest day of my life. After six years together, my college girlfriend asked me to be her wife and of course I said yes.

We were living in Florida at the time (and then moving to Washington, DC), but we always knew we wanted to get married somewhere in Michigan to make it more convenient for our extended family, most of whom lived in or near the state. of Illinois. We considered a few different options, but finally settled on a place in the castle, because let's be honest: What girl hasn't dreamed of having her own royal wedding? (Okay I will.)

We set a date for May 10, 2020 and as it got closer our excitement grew. We were finally getting married! But then we hit a bump in the road, a baby bump. My older sister told me that she was pregnant and that her due date was only three days before our wedding, which meant that she would not be able to travel to Michigan for the holidays. As excited as I was to become an aunt, a part of me was sad to think that my older sister would not be with me on my big day, and I would not be with hers.

However, planning continued and in January, my fiancé and I met our parents in Michigan for a vendor weekend, during which we met with our on-site coordinator, florist, wedding planner, caterer, and all the other people who were working. so difficult to make the wedding of our dreams come true.
The following month, I had the most incredible bachelorette weekend at Disney World, where my bridesmaids made me feel like a total princess, and I got even more excited for May, which I didn't think was possible. But every fairy tale needs a villain, and ours was the coronavirus.

When things started to get serious in early March, we were a bit concerned, but like many people at the time, we didn't think the virus was going to be more than a minor inconvenience. However, as the weeks passed and the situation worsened, we decided to start reaching out to our suppliers to formulate a "Plan B".
Initially, we considered postponing the wedding for just a few months, but we were concerned that our guests already had other plans or obligations, or that the pandemic would not be over by then, so we chose May 22, 2021, as our backup date.

During those 'what if' conversations, my fiance and I made the important decision that even though the big celebration had to wait, we still wanted to get married on May 10 of this year.

It was heartbreaking to think that our wedding could be delayed for a whole year when we had already waited so long, but it also gave us peace of mind knowing that in case it got worse, we had a plan in place. And during those what if conversations, my fiancé and I came to the important decision that even if the big celebration had to wait, we still wanted to get married on May 10 of this year.

So in late March, I applied to the National Park Service for permission to hold an intimate ceremony at the Washington War Memorial on the National Mall. I contacted my fiance's brother, who lives 30 minutes away away, and asked if she would officiate the ceremony, I ordered a white dress online as my wedding dress had not yet been altered and contacted a local photographer to "book our appointment. 

It was heartbreaking to think that our wedding could be delayed for a whole year when we had already waited so long, but it also gave us peace of mind knowing that in case it got worse, we had a plan in place. And during those what if conversations, my fiancé and I came to the important decision that even if the big celebration had to wait, we still wanted to get married on May 30 of this year.

So in late March, I applied to the National Park Service for permission to hold an intimate ceremony at the Washington War Memorial on the National Mall. I contacted my fiance's brother, who lives 30 minutes away away, and asked if she would officiate the ceremony, I ordered a white dress online as my wedding dress had not yet been altered and contacted a local photographer to "book our appointment. 

We didn't have a band or cake or any of the things that come to mind when you hear the word 'wedding', but none of that mattered because we were finally husband and wife.

Despite the stress, anxiety, and ever-changing plans, when May 30 rolled around, I married my best friend. No, it was not the day we had always dreamed of. She was not wearing a wedding dress and my boyfriend was not wearing a tux, we had no band or cake or any of the things that come to mind when you hear the word wedding, but none of that. It mattered because we were finally husband and wife ... and aunt and uncle! My sister gave birth to a healthy boy within hours of our ceremony.

So even though we may have to wait a whole year for our big wedding, we can spend that time watching our nephew grow up and turn our new house into a home, and that sounds like a pretty good happily ever after" to me. .