Stephanie + Jack's Micro Oakland Backyard Wedding
Updated: Aug 11, 2020
Stephanie and Jack were scheduled to tie the knot this past Memorial Day weekend, surrounded by 200 of their closest family and friends. But news of a worldwide pandemic put everything on hold.
As the shutdown days turned into weeks, and the government unable to provide us with a solid outlook, we had to start making contingency plans we never thought we’d have to execute. We started reaching out to our Spring couples, checking in, and gauging comfort levels. Jack and Stephanie, wanting to avoid uncertainty and to mitigate risk, were one of the first couples to make the decision to not gamble and move their wedding into Fall.
Our team jumped into action, rebooked all available vendors to the new date, and backfilled vendors who had scheduling conflicts. But as time went on and we continued to watch the news, the uncertainty of a fall wedding became more and more apparent (as did our whole day-to-day life). After several long discussions, S+J realized that putting their wedding off is not a way to live life and they decided to move forward with an intimate ceremony at the bride’s parents’ home on their original wedding date.
We knew the decision was a hard one, and our hearts broke for the couple, as the months spent working out all the incredible elements of their celebration were now put on ice. BUT! Love can’t wait, and at the end of the day, all the details are just the supporting cast to the main event - the vows.
On May 25th, a small group gathered at the bride’s parents’ home to watch the couple say their I Dos. Those that attended were under strict quarantining guidelines, including the bride and groom, who quarantined with the bride’s parents (adorable!)! Safety precautions were put in place, including an outdoor only gathering, masks for everyone, and spaced ceremony chairs. And thanks to the wonders of technology, the guests sheltering at home (and our team!), were able to join in via zoom to witness Stephanie and Jack tie the knot in a touching ceremony.
While the couple had to postpone their Honeymoon to Japan, and we wait to celebrate them in the later part of 2021, we are so happy that in the meantime they get to call each other Husband + Wife.
Peep into their micro wedding celebration below, captured beautifully by Viv Chen.
We can’t wait to boogie with these two in 2021!
For all the couples adjusting their plans to COVID-19, hang in there! Our entire industry is here for you and we can’t wait to celebrate all of you again.