Boston EMT, Chef Hold Socially Distanced Wedding During Coronavirus Pandemic
BOSTON (CBS) -- Boston EMT Ryan Mcloughlin and chef Kara Solomon got engaged in October and weren't planning on getting married until next year, but the uncertainty of coronavirus changed their plans.
"Ryan is a Boston EMT so he's transporting coronavirus patients all over the city. Every day he goes to work, he's always in danger of carrying it or contracting it. On top of that, my health insurance situation isn't fantastic, so there were lots of reasons for us to protect ourselves by getting married early. We were already engaged so it wasn't any different, it's just earlier," said Solomon said Saturday.
The couple got married during a socially distanced ceremony with a few family members at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston.
"We were planning the wedding for October 2021 but given everything that's happened with the pandemic, we decided that it was a good idea to move up the wedding, the legal part. It was unfortunate that we couldn't have all of our friends and family here but we did live stream it on Facebook so at least friends could watch it at home," added Mcloughlin.
Attendees stood six feet apart the entire time, even during pictures.
"My dad couldn't walk me down the aisle in the traditional fashion, I had to walk next to him six feet away," Solomon added.
The newlyweds are still planning to hold another wedding next year for friends and family, and hold a small gathering to celebrate this one. "We'll probably have a cookout at some point, whenever we're allowed to do that," said Solomon.
Even though it wasn't what they add imagined, Mcloughlin said, " I am very, very happy. I don't think I've ever been happier."