The wedding must go on, coronavirus or not.
A Louisiana couple, who are also frontline nurses duing the pandemic, said “I do” at a very small celebration.
Bride Clare Keefer has been working 50-hour weeks at a hospital in Baton Rouge, fighting to help save lives during the virus outbreak.
She wasn’t about to let COVID-19 stop her from marrying the love of her life, but the virus would stop her loved ones from being able to attend in person.
Her sister, Mary Seghers Shaffo, shared a heartwarming video of Keefer walking down the church aisle beside her father, who wore a black mask to protect himself.
“Since the majority of their friends and family could not be there, we printed pictures and pinned them to the pews of the church as a surprise.”
Though their honeymoon and reception were cancelled, it’s clear the kind gesture meant a lot to the bride, who smiled tearfully at the pew photos as she walked towards her soon-to-be husband, Mel Keefer.
“I turned around and saw all the pictures on the pews and immediately started crying,” Clare told WAFB-TV. “It was very sweet.”
To make matters even sweeter, many of their friends and family showed up in their cars, parked in the parking lot, awaiting their debut as a couple.
“Whoever could showed up and were waiting for us to walk out,” Mel said. They were in their cars and honking the horns when we came out.”
While they would’ve loved to have everyone there in person, in the church, the circumstances made their day even better than they could’ve imagined.
“It ended up kind of being more beautiful in a way, all the extra love we got,” Mel said.
“It was really sweet, all the extra surprises.”
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Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
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— With files from Reuters