'Not Even A Pandemic Can Stop Our Love': Army Specialist Set To Be Deployed, Fiancee Get Married With Guests In Attendance Via Zoom
LAKE RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Despite the coronavirus pandemic, a wedding still took place for a Long Island couple Saturday.
The bride and groom said "I do" in front of plenty of friends and family, but the well-wishers joined in entirely online.
Faith and Richard Henry never planned for such an intimate ceremony and never imagined their wedding guests would be dressed in such unconventional attire, but such is life during the coronavirus - and the couple didn't want to wait a second more.
"Just unstoppable, you know. Just, not even a pandemic can stop our love," Richard Henry said.
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Richard is an Army Specialist and is set to be deployed to Romania soon for a 10-month tour.
The couple, not knowing if social distancing orders would be lifted by the time he returned, decided there's no time like the present.
"It's amazing. It feels incredible. It's unreal," Faith Henry said.
The Henrys always dreamed of getting married by the water.
So when the venue, Windows on the Lake, graciously offered them a picturesque view of Lake Ronkonkoma for free, the couple started tackling the next challenge - somehow incorporating their 170 wedding guests they would have otherwise invited.
"We wanted to have everyone we knew, like our family. It was gonna be a big, celebratory day for us," Faith Henry said.
By the power of Zoom, the couple was able to share their special day via live stream.
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The sound of relatives and anticipation complete with a little chaos and technical difficulties -- at one point, the father of the bride couldn't get into the Zoom conference -- captured the essence felt in any other ceremony.
"Never thought I'd be getting married during a worldwide pandemic," Faith Henry said. "So we're really happy and it's gonna be a great day."
After all, it's not about the crowds or the venue. It's all about the love they have for one another.