The rest of our lives starts now!

The rest of our lives starts now!

The year 2020 was supposed to be a year of celebrations. My fiancé and I, newly engaged and excited, began planning for our wedding shortly after he proposed to me in the summer of 2019. In fact, we found our perfect venue almost immediately after getting engaged. My dream of marrying at an idyllic vineyard was coming true! By the end of 2019, we had a plan – to escape the harsh New England winter and get married in Florida, January of 2021. We even traveled to the Sunshine State in December of 2019 to interview vendors and secure photography, videography, and catering. All the pieces of the puzzle were falling together perfectly. Our joint wedding shower, as well as our respective bachelor and bachelorette parties were to take place in the summer of 2020. We were ecstatic to keep the celebrations going! That is, until the Covid-19 pandemic hit home. In mid April 2020, as cases peaked in Rhode Island, my fiancé and I painfully decided to cancel our plans and dreams of a Florida wedding. While it was a difficult decision to make, it was also a huge blessing in disguise. We lost non-refundable deposits, but saved thousands in total wedding expenses. More importantly, we succeeded in not risking the lives of our dear family and friends. As we reflected on our blessings and the fragility of life, what reason was there to wait to get married? The rest of our lives could start now! So, in proper pandemic fashion, with the help of just our parents and siblings, on August 30th 2020, Roberto and I had ourselves the most beautiful, romantic, and intimate backyard wedding a girl could dream of. And for that, we will be grateful for the rest of our lives.

12/07/2020

Lisbeth Avalos-Irving

Pawtucket