Two Resident Doctors Celebrate Socially Distant Wedding

BOSTON (CBS) - A global pandemic could not keep one couple from celebrating their dream day. Over the weekend, Michael Septer-Zapata and Tasha Evanoff said "I do" during a socially distant wedding ceremony, followed by a Zoom reception.

"We held a social distancing approved, three person ceremony on the steps of Memorial Church at Harvard which is where we met," Tasha said. "We just felt like given how fast COVID-19 was spreading, it wouldn't be safe for our families and friends to be traveling across the country."

The couple's love story began at Harvard where they met as undergraduates. Then, they both went to medical school at Washington University in St. Louis. From there, Mike started his residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Tasha is also in her first year of residency in the psychiatric department at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Their lives were busy even before the COVID-19 crisis when Mike decided to propose to Tasha by channeling her love of the Harry Potter book series.

"Walked up to her holding the book, got down on one knee, read the last line of the book and then asked her is she'd make me the happiest man in the world," he recalled.

When the coronavirus shuttered the country, the couple decided it would not stop their wedding, even though it did cancel their plans for a big party.

"We were so excited to celebrate this big day that we should just go ahead with it and get creative with it and celebrate these important moments despite what's been going on," Tasha said.

The wedding was officiated by their med school friend and a fellow resident. The "party" was on Zoom where relatives shared laughs, toasts, and speeches from the maid of honor and best man.

Mike says the day started off with a tinge of sadness as he got dressed in his suit alone. But, his melancholy feelings quickly gave way to happiness when he saw Tasha.

"She was gorgeous, radiant, absolutely flawless," he said.

Tasha agrees, even without family physically present, the day was still incredible.

"The day turned out to be still one of the happiest days of our lives and it was definitely a memorable one," she said.