Love conquers all: Couples opt for virtual weddings in face of COVID-19 restrictions
With a big wedding no longer an option, these couples got creative and took their ceremonies online
It was 35 C on Saturday afternoon, and undeterred by the heat, a beaming couple still dressed in their wedding attire arrived at Montreal's Laurier Park to cheers and applause, even from complete strangers.
"All of a sudden the whole park, they just spontaneously gave us the most beautiful welcome ever," said Fernando Merino Denegri, the groom.
"Everyone started cheering and clapping and saying congratulations, félicitations," added the bride, Claudia Grimau Mingorance. "It was so, so amazing. It was so surreal."
The couple got married at a small art gallery in Old Montreal on June 20, with most of their friends and family watching the ceremony via a live video call. That was followed by an outdoor picnic reception in the park.
Mingorance, originally from Argentina, met Denegri in Mexico six years ago. Denegri, a permanent resident of Canada, was in the midst of wooing his future wife, trying to persuade her to join him in Montreal, when the pandemic hit.
The couple decided that rather than face an uncertain future apart, they'd rather tie the knot here and now.
Mingorance described the ceremony as bittersweet, as she would have liked to have had her family there to support her.
"I don't know if it's every woman's dream, but having that special moment where your father walks with you, that was something I wish had happened," she said.
Instead of the well-attended ceremony they'd hoped for, the couple sent out invitations which read: "You are not invited to our wedding (but you can watch it)."
"The cool thing is that they dressed up for the event, wearing suits and ties, and dresses. It was so cool to see," said Denegri.
"Of course, in Mexico, some of our friends were sharing tequila shots," said Mingorance.
The couple said it was moving to see so many familiar faces from around the world popping up on the call.
"In such difficult times, sharing a special happy moment. It was really emotional to see everyone," said Mingorance.
'A story we'll never forget'
While many couples chose to postpone their ceremonies due to restrictions on gatherings and travel, some are opting for a small online ceremony now and a larger celebration later.
Montreal-born Victoria Shore and New Yorker Spencer Friedman planned to get married at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., on May 31.
"Given that I'm Canadian, I wanted all of our American friends to come to Canada. And then the borders closed, and it was pretty apparent that we had to move it," said Shore.
Given the additional restrictions on bringing together family from Montreal, Ottawa and across the U.S., the couple decided to have a civil ceremony in New York, where they live now, and invite friends and family to join the party online.
"You would think a Zoom wedding would be pretty simple, but there were a lot of factors," said Shore. "We ended up finding an alley in New York City because that was the best Internet."
Shore said some friends attended the wedding wearing masks and bringing their own cups of champagne, but they still hope to hold a formal religious ceremony in Canada next year.
"I think it was hard for my dad, you know, not to give me away, but I think they really wanted us to have some happiness during all this and for people to see that love conquers all," she said.
"It's a story that we'll never forget, and our families will never forget," said Friedman.
Shore's sister Emily, who lives in Montreal, said it made for an emotional day, with her and her parents choking up watching the live video feed from home.
"I'm surprised at how emotional or special it actually was, because even though we were watching over the camera, we really did feel we were there with them," she said.
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