As one year ends and a new one begins, the commonality amongst many people is a feeling of hope. The year 2020 had the same initial feeling of an unwritten novel waiting for a new story. But then everything changed as the world plunged into a global pandemic. As a way to stay safe and be well, we placed plans on hold and saw loved ones from a distance or not at all. We thought things would go back to normal quickly, but then days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. And few experienced the rollercoaster of constant changes more than couples, like Justin and Elise, who had hoped to wed.

Most couples who were in the throes of wedding planning throughout 2020 experienced the ebbs and flows side by side. But that was not the case for Justin, a principal director for a video production company, and Elise, a yoga teacher. Instead, Justin isolated himself at his home in Philadelphia while Elise sheltered in place thousands of miles away in her home country of France. Like so many others, they relied on their daily FaceTime calls to stay connected. But Justin and Elise’s unique set of circumstances also forced them to bob and weave with seemingly endless travel restrictions. Their time apart lasted almost a year, but finally, as Justin said, “enough was enough.”

“I knew this was the woman I wanted to marry, so the first opportunity we got we eloped and got married,” shared Justin. “It was a small ceremony with only six people in attendance in a beautiful cabin in the woods in the middle of winter. We absolutely loved everything about it.”

The couple was already in the middle of planning a far larger wedding that they were eager to experience with all of their family members and friends. But their goals shifted to simply being together as a married couple in the same country, so Justin took the reins while Elise was home in France—and Elise said their newly formed plan was “perfect.”

“I am an introvert and very shy, and I loved to have that intimate ceremony with our close friends and our dog Nova as our flower girl,” said Elise who described their first wedding as “very intimate” and “special.” She added, “Justin also contacted Lindsay, our photographer, to capture our elopement and I had no idea! I saw her at the door of the cabin, and I was so happy to have her capture this beautiful and meaningful day. She bought a cake and went above and beyond for us!”

Once Justin and Elise were officially husband and wife and they could sense that larger celebrations were more of a possibility again, they both knew they wanted to revisit their dream of celebrating in person with their loved ones.

“I grew up with a huge friend group and a large family. I felt it was the one thing missing from our first wedding,” wrote Justin who said he and Elise “jumped” at the chance to celebrate with “everyone that helped shape us into the people we are today.” He continued, “I also really wanted to see Elise and her father walk down the aisle together. That was a special moment to me.”

This time, Elise was in charge of planning a “warm and welcoming” fete at the rustic and romantic Terrain at Styers. Overall, it was most important to have her parents present for such a monumental moment.

“My parents are not so young, and it was so important for me to have them by my side. They flew all the way from France, and I couldn’t be happier to see their faces and happy tears at the wedding,” said Elise. “I will cherish these memories forever.”

Not only did Justin and Elise plan their first wedding during the height of the pandemic during the winter, but their second wedding happened during the summer. As a result, other than their photographer, they turned to an entirely new team of wedding professionals. Even with so many changes and a seemingly endless number of hurdles, they both said they focused on their “why” behind every decision. They also mentioned that the only change they would have made was to slow down time so they could enjoy every moment a little bit longer.

“It’s not about the flowers, the venue or the favors—it’s about being able to say ‘I do’ to the love of your life,” said Justin, adding, “Everything else is a bonus.” Although being married is the only thing that matters, Elise pointed out that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed while planning: “If there’s changes, unplanned events, obstacles, or things that don’t work out, it’s so important to be easy on yourself and remind yourself that any wedding is stressful in the first place and that’s totally okay to be overwhelmed… I tried to keep reminding myself, ‘No matter what, it will be beautiful, and we will make it work.”

No matter if you’re planning a wedding during a pandemic, eloping, dreaming of a wedding where you’re on the dance floor surrounded by all of your favorite people, or simply hoping for a way to be together, Justin’s words ring true: “I know it’s cliché to say that love will always find a way, but it is also true—at least in our case.”

The Elopement