My fiancé Alex and I were so excited to get married on Friday, October 2, 2020, which was to be followed by a weekend of festivities and fun for our family and friends who traveled from all over the world to be with us. Although the process was long, we were enjoying planning our beautiful wedding that would take place at Galleria Marchetti in downtown Chicago. We were both anxiously counting down the days when we would finally get to say “I Do” surrounded by all our favorite people!

In March, when reports started coming out about Covid-19, I began to see changes happening in my hospital and I knew this situation was serious. Nevertheless, we were still hopeful that our original wedding date would work, and we’d be able to celebrate with all our loved ones. But my anxiety of the unknown started kicking in and I was overwhelmed with so many emotions. I felt sad, angry, confused, and hopeful sometimes all in the same breath. Of course, Alex was always there to let me know that in the end everything would all work out. As much as we wanted the wedding to happen, the health and safety of our family and friends was a top priority for us.

As our wedding was drawing near and social events in Chicago remained uncertain, I received an email from our venue, allowing us to pick a backup date. I immediately felt a sense of relief and I started reaching out to my wedding planner to check if our vendors were available on that date. I was thrilled when I found out most of them were willing to accommodate us and would be a part of our new wedding date of May 7, 2021! I couldn’t wait to marry my partner in crime; now we are more excited than ever to say “I do” next year! I can’t say enough good things about our venue. They were super supportive and always made sure to keep us informed of any changes. We fell in love with Galleria Marchetti the moment we walked in and their support and understanding throughout this whole process and situation has made us realize even more that we definitely picked the right venue. I would recommend them to any future bride.

I was certain that October 2020 would be the best month of my life. Covid taught me that life is not perfect, but with love and faith, you will get through. I’m grateful that my family is healthy, and that Alex and I haven’t lost our jobs or loved ones to Covid. I can’t wait to have my father walk me down the aisle in my beautiful wedding dress next year so I can marry my best friend!