Nurse, first responder marry in yard with family 'virtually present' after coronavirus crisis derails wedding
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This love story managed to get its happy ending — even with a shelter-in-place order.
Nurse Lauren Rovinsky and first responder Donnie Thomas got married Friday at their home in Huntingdon Valley, Pa., “despite attempts by the universe to stop” the pair, the new bride wrote on Facebook.
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Rovinsky and Thomas met on Tinder in 2013. In 2018, the two health care professionals got engaged and spent nearly two years planning their dream wedding. However, once the coronavirus outbreak hit, they were forced to scrap their original plans.
“With Donnie and I being essential personnel, we could not risk exposing them to anything we may have been exposed to at work,” Rovinsky said to Yahoo Lifestyle.
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The setback didn't completely derail the couple, though, and they got married on their back deck at home, on the date they had originally planned to wed, with family “virtually present” and the bride’s brother serving as the officiant.
“I married the man of my dreams with our families virtually present, in our backyard, with our crazy dogs and neighbors and farm next door,” the excited bride wrote on Facebook of the intimate nuptials, calling the night “more special than I could have imagined under the circumstances.”
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“It was beautiful and perfect and I can’t wait to begin this journey with you Donnie and I promise to love you with my whole heart for my whole life,” wrote Lauren, who now goes by Lauren Thomas, Yahoo Lifestyle reported.
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Neighbors reportedly helped make the day special by creating posters saying “Happy Wedding Day,” and Lauren bought a dress online at the last minute.
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The Thomases are still planning on having their “real” wedding at some point in the future.
“I can’t wait until my mom helps me into my REAL wedding dress and I walk down the aisle with my father. I can’t wait to dance the night away with our friends and family,” she wrote.
With all of the adjustments and concessions the pair made for their wedding, Lauren is happy they did not wait. Especially now that their new chosen date of May 17 may not come to fruition, either.
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“Some people asked why we still wanted to get married on March 27,” she said to Yahoo Lifestyle. “Why we didn’t live-stream it. Why aren’t we just waiting until our postponed date? And the answer was simple. With what Donnie and I do for a living, and under the current circumstances we are living in, we know that tomorrow is not promised and we did not want to spend one more day waiting to be married.”