We met on a blind date set up by a long time mutual family friend – she gave us two rules, we couldn’t text – we had to talk on the phone, and we had to go on at least two dates. The first voicemail (because Karina ignored the call) was left December 5, 2016  – the first date was December 11, 2016 – the rest is history.

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What was your favorite memory of your wedding day?

As cliché as it is – I typed my answer so Eric didn’t see it but we both said the same thing – our favorite memory is each other. Getting each others gifts, reading our cards from one another full of so much love, and most of all seeing each other for the first time as I walked down the aisle and locked eyes with each other. At that moment, everything else fell away – all the stress, all of the COVID BS that tried to stop us, everything. It was just us… and that was so special.

What were the main influences behind the style of your wedding, its location and your venue choice for your big day?

COVID. Some of the same thought process was there, with a tad classy Harry Potter theme but this is a funny one because we planned a wedding as not our big celebration, but rather a hold to our big party. Which has been themed by Harry Potter, rustic life, and location based on family. 

What would your top tips be for somebody planning their wedding?

As a COVID bride – just remember that nothing really matters other than the love between each other. If you have to go from a 225 person wedding down to a 30, it’s okay, and at the end of the day it will be just as perfect. If the only road leading to your wedding venue gets closed less than two hours before your wedding and you have to contact everyone with a new route, who cares, that’s easy. If your flowers aren’t going to show up because of said road closing, remember flowers aren’t the reason you’re getting married. Just keep in mind why you’re there to begin with – the details are nice, but none of it matters in the long run… what matters is the love and memories you will share together, that is the most important thing in the world.

What made you decide to hire a wedding videographer? Any tips for couples on the fence for a film?

We always heard that the day flies by, and a lot of it is a blur – after going through it, even with a small wedding, we can confirm – IT TRUE! You are literally in this bubble of emotion and happiness that you legit black out. You remember, but you don’t – it’s actually kind of weird. We wanted a way to look back and relive the highlights, relive our vows, relive the speeches. Photos capture the moment,  which is so beautiful, but they don’t capture the movement and feelings of your guests, and you, and we wanted both. I would highly recommend film as you can’t capture the “live” feelings and believe me, we remember all of the feelings, but remembering what actually happened is hard.

Anything else you would like to share?

All we have to say is that we are so glad we were able to actually make something happen this year, and make something happen that was absolutely perfect. This year has taught us all a lot, but what this year has really taught us, having to try and plan a wedding through it all, is that love, support, and hope is everywhere.  We cannot thank our families, friends, and vendors enough for being so understanding and generous – you hear these nightmares of couples going through this year and their vendors and guests not understanding {which is crazy to me). We cannot thank everyone enough for everything they have done for us and all of the support and love they have given.