This past month, I participated in two weddings. For one I attended in person as a bridesmaid. For the other, I was able to watch the ceremony via a Zoom video link.
I was equally thrilled to attend both.
I've seen a number of my friends celebrate major mile stones on Facebook recently. I've seen posts about engagements, marriages, baby showers, major birthdays, graduations, and, unfortunately, even a few funerals. Some of these events are in-person, some are only over the internet, others are a mix.
The wedding I attended in person was outside and everyone (except the bride, groom, and officiant) wore masks the entire time. We were able to dance, but, again, masks were always on and we kept our distances. The favors included hand sanitizer and another mask.
No flowers were thrown. Sparklers couldn't be lit. But the wedding planner provided everyone a stick with colored ribbon to wave as the bride and groom left the ceremony. It still felt like a normal wedding, just with a lot less people and a few minor changes that Instagram or Pinterest might list as a new wedding trend.
Which a lot of this might become.
Weddings (well any event really) can be expensive and a lot of personalities can cause unnecessary drama. Only allowing a limited number of people at the actual event would likely help the happy couple out a lot.
Attending a wedding ceremony via Zoom is also really nice.
I felt included and honored to be a part of my friend's big day. I'll admit that the lack of stress trying to get to the wedding on time was really nice (I've been late to many weddings, coming in just as the bride walks down the isle). Certainly, I'll miss seeing them in person, but I can call them later and mail them a present.
I did something similar for a baby shower I was invited to (though there I was having some technical difficulties and missed most of it).
We as a society want things to go back to "normal" - whatever that means to you - but the reality is, "normal" isn't coming back any time soon. We likely adopt some of these new practices for future events (especially the Zoom stream option).
It's good for us to have these celebrations, even if there are a number of limitations.
Many years into the future, we'll be sitting down with the next generation or the one after that and looking at our old Facebook timelines when a memory will annoyingly pop up. The kids will see the pictures and they might ask us why everyone at the wedding was wearing fancy masks that covered their mouth and nose. And we'll tell them about the virus that stopped the world in it's tracks and likely changed the course of history.
These pictures are going to end up in history books. They'll be right next to the ones showing the doctors and nurses working hard to save lives. Adjacent to the protestors in masks marching in the streets demanding justice and change. Below the ones of long lines at the polling stations.
COVID-19 isn't the end of our way of life, but a new beginning that allows new adaptations when we are faced with the toughest of times.
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Until next week.
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