Love Isn’t Cancelled: Antheia + Jesse

To all the 2020 couples out there – you were faced with an impossible decision this year when it came to wedding planning. There were so many options: postpone, elope, go ahead with a smaller guest size… all good options but how do you know what one is the right one for you?

The short answer is, you don’t. There are many factors like health, international travel, venue restrictions, etc. to consider and those factors and the end decision is unique to each couple. However, after having being a part of more than 20 weddings this season and going through some tough conversations and heartbreaking decisions, we’ve also witnessed firsthand how incredible the wedding days have been for our clients who have gone ahead with a smaller guest group size.

We could tell you all about it, however we thought it would be even better to go straight to our couples who are the ones who had to make those hard decisions but still ended up having their best day ever. We are starting our Q&As with Antheia & Jesse, because this beautiful bride really inspired this blogging series!

Shortly after her wedding, Antheia was sharing some images of her incredible celebration on Instagram and included a message for other 2020 Covid Brides – “Love isn’t cancelled. Have your day. Do it safely. Take it all in. Work closely with the amazing team you’ve hired. You & your partner’s union is truly all that matters. No matter what, it’ll be perfect.”

We shared Antheia’s words on our stories and received many messages from other 2020 brides and grooms saying this was exactly what they needed to hear. One of those messages was from our bride, Catie, who was married a few weeks after Antheia. Catie said she really appreciated/needed to read that message from a fellow Covid bride and so here we are! We can’t wait to share more of these posts with you in the weeks ahead! ❤︎

Antheia & Jesse were married on August 8th, 2020 at Bilston Creek Farm. They had originally planned to have 110 guests but ended up with an intimate group of 28 friends and family.

When and how did you make the decision to change your wedding plans? Were there any specific deciding factors?

We both work in fields that were directly affected by the pandemic, and knew by April that Covid was something we were all going to be living with for a long time. We tried to be as practical and realistic as possible!

How was your wedding day different than what you had imagined?

So, we had invited 110 people. But in the end, we had 28 and got the small intimate wedding we had always hoped for! In terms of vendors, everyone stuck with us, and the day was more beautiful than we could have ever imagined.

How was your wedding day the same as what you had originally imagined?

Good food, good company, beautiful venue, and a whole lot of love.

Was there anything that turned out better than your original plan?

Everything turned out better in my opinion! We had the chance to actually talk and visit with everyone who was there. Guests who didn’t know each other as well before the wedding came away feeling connected to those people. I think everyone who joined us felt the day was extra special, as there really were only our immediate family members and best friends there, and weddings like that don’t happen often these days.

Are you still planning for any part of your original plan for a later date in the future? One year anniversary? Vow renewal? Reception celebration?

No 🙂

Us and our families both feel our wedding day had everything that it needed to, and don’t feel the need to plan another event at a later date.

What would you want to say to other couples who are considering a smaller wedding?

Be prepared that a lot is going to have to change from your original plan, but believe it is still going to be the happiest, most special, and beautiful day of your life. Try to remember that the most important thing at the end of the day is that you’re marrying the love of your life, and the rest is inconsequential. The rest is just details… the reason you’re getting married and your union can never be taken away from you by this pandemic!

What was your most memorable moment of the wedding day?

How everything turned out exactly how I had pictured it, it felt like I was living in a dream! You visualize your wedding day down to the last little detail, and it unfolded exactly how I had hoped it would. Dakota and the rest of the Good Party Team are the reason it did … we both can’t thank you enough.