Couples forced to change wedding plans during COVID-19 pandemic

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Wedding bells are in the air, but you might hear them at your local courthouse.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced restrictions on the size of social gatherings and shuttered many of the venues that usually host weddings and receptions.

“We wanted to find in as much time possible to not have to worry about this anymore,” said bride Tessa Berryman.

May 23 was supposed to be the biggest day of her life, walking down the aisle to get married.

But with threats of COVID-19, her fairy-tale story turned into a nightmare.

“On February 1, he actually proposed in front of all of our friends. We had the date picked and I went and bought the dress. My dress got botched and the same week I got a new dress that wasn’t messed up and fit like a glove, the pandemic hit,” recalled Berryman.

That’s when the Berrymans planned an intimate ceremony and moved their wedding plans to October.

“We got a marriage license. One of our friends agreed to be ordained. We asked them ‘Would you agree to come to our house on May 19t?’ and their like ‘Yeah of course, if you guys are getting married we wouldn’t miss it.’ So we went out on the backyard and we had our dog and our parents, and a couple of our closest friends and that was it,” said Berryman.

They weren’t the only couple who used alternative ways to tie the knot.

Lowndes County District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks said he officiated a small number of marriages since the pandemic started.

“I’ve noticed a change because it’s not unusual to marry 10 to 15 couples a week. Now, it’s been down to a couple every two weeks. I believe I married two couples last week and I just married a couple this morning, so I see the push back also,” said Brooks.

Brooks said to keep everyone safe and healthy during the ceremony, he’s tried to use social distancing.

“Sometimes there are groups. I’ve had as many as 25 in a groups and so we do it outside,” said Brooks.

As for the Berryman’s, even though schedules have changed and deposits are lost, their love for each other remained the same.

“We’ll still do a ceremony and we’ll still do a ring exchange, and we’ll still cut the cake and have toast and what not because we didn’t do that this go-round. I’m actually quite anxious to put my dress on and see him in his suit and have him walk down the aisle and be there,” said Berryman.

Brooks said having your marriage officiated at the courthouse will cost around $20.