JoAnn and Stephen: Hamden Park Wedding in Meriden, Connecticut

JoAnn and Stephen were another covid couple who had to change their original wedding plans this year, and they did so with grace and style. They managed to turn a socially-distant, mask-wearing affair in a public park into one of the most beautiful weddings I’ve had the privilege to attend.

I knew during JoAnn and Stephen’s engagement session that they were perfect for each other, and I knew throughout all of JoAnn’s and my back-and-forth texts how challenging the changing plans were and how they were rolling with the punches. Despite the pain of changing everything, she made it all seem rather lighthearted and casual.

Despite that—or maybe because of that—the wedding itself all came together on this day to serve up a real emotional whammy for all of us who were there. There were tears—the big, intense, cathartic kind. There were hugs—boisterous, joyful, back-clapping hugs that people have been craving since the pandemic began. There was one of the most poignant and heartfelt ceremonies I’ve ever heard. And there were two people taking on life together in the middle of a world on fire.

I have so much love and respect for you guys, and I am so honored to have been here with you for your wedding. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of this moment in your lives.