.WE'LL
.WE'LL DO
.WE'LL DO THIS MORNING WE KNOW DOZENS AND DOZENS OF COUPLES HAD TO CHANGE THEIR WEDDING
PLANS BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
BUT YOU MAY NOT HAVE HEARD
OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.
YEAH. GET A COUPLE REALLY WENT
THE EXTRA MILE TO MAKE EVERYONE
COMFORTABLE DURING THIS TIME.
CARLOS IS BRINGING US THEIR
STORY THIS MORNING AND THEY DID
THIS BY HAVING MULTIPLE
CEREMONIES. CARLOS IN ONE DAY.
YOU KNOW JOSEPH SMOKER IS AN
ARMY SPECIALIST SO HE'S USED TO
ADD LIVING IN ADVERSE
SITUATIONS BUT IT SEEMS LIKE
HIS NOW WIFE MATTIE SMOKER IS
EQUALLY TALENTED. JOSEPH
MADDIE, WE'RE PLANNING THEIR
WEDDING FOR OVER A YEAR FOR
THIS LAST SATURDAY BUT A LOT
OF THE OLDER PEOPLE WHO WERE
COMING WHO WERE INVITED TO THE
WEDDING SAID THEY DIDN'T FEEL
COMFORTABLE COMING OUT AND
BEING IN A LARGE GROUP WITH
THIS COVID 19 CRISIS THAT WE'RE
.SO THE SOLUTION TO WEDDING
CEREMONIES IN ONE DAY
SO WE
DECIDED TO DO TWO WEDDING
CEREMONIES BECAUSE THAT MEANS A
LOT TO ME AND MY FIANCEE
TAMARA. GRANDPARENTS THERE FOR
THE LARGER CROWD. THE
GRANDPARENTS DIDN'T FEEL SAFE
BEING THERE WITH THEIR HEALTH
CONCERNS. SO WE DECIDED TO DO
TWO CEREMONIES, THE FIRST ONE
BEING JUST THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY
SO THAT WE COULD HAVE OUR
GRANDPARENTS WITH US. JOSEPH,
THE GROOM WORE HIS MILITARY
BEST FOR THE FIRST WEDDING
WHILE GUESTROOM REMINDED ABOUT
MASK WEARING SUDDENLY AND NOT
SO SUDDENLY MASK WERE EVEN
HANDED OUT BUT HAD CLEAR
PLASTIC SEWED INTO THE MIDDLE.
TO SEE EVERYONE SMILES AND
THERE WERE PLENTY
OF FASHIONABLE MASKS ON HAND
AND PLENTY OF HAND SANITIZER AT
THE DOOR. DURING THE SECOND
CEREMONY THE COUPLE PROVIDED
RED, YELLOW AND GREEN BRACELETS
.REDMOND. PLEASE DON'T
APPROACH ME, YELLOW SAID. I'M
BEING CAUTIOUS BUT YOU CAN
APPROACH ME. AND GREEN WAS THE
MESSAGE TO GUESTS. YOU ARE
WELCOME TO COME INTO MY SPACE.
WE'LL SANITIZE AFTERWARDS. AT
THE CEREMONY WE ARE GOING TO
SAY EVERY OTHER CUE JUST THOSE
THAT LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD
CAN SIT TOGETHER AND WEAR
MASKS. ALL THAT FUN STUFF. MARY
BEGAN PLANNING THEIR WEDDING
BEFORE TO COPE AT 19 CRISIS
STARTED. ORIGINALLY I THOUGHT
IT WOULD BE OK BECAUSE OUR
WEDDING WAS A LITTLE BIT
FURTHER OFF FROM WHEN IT FIRST
STARTED BUT THEN THE CLOSER WE
GOT WE REALIZED IT WASN'T GOING
AWAY. SO IT GOT PRETTY
STRESSFUL WITHIN THE LAST WEEK
WE HAD A LOT OF LAST MINUTE
CHANGES AND IT WAS ALL GOOD. WE
NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT DELAYING
OUR WEDDING. WE SAID IF WE HAVE
TO GET MARRIED THIS YEAR JUST
LIKE IN THE BACKYARD AND HAVE A
RECEPTION IN OUR BACKYARD, WE
WOULD DO IT EVEN WITH ALL THE
MASK BRACELETS AND HAND
SANITIZERS, SOME GUESTS STILL
DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE COMING
OUT. THERE'S A LOT I GUESS THAT
WERE EITHER ELDERLY OR HAD
PREEXISTING HEALTH CONDITIONS
THAT JUST DECIDED NOT TO COME
THIS YEAR ALTOGETHER. SO
THERE'S THE FIRST KISS AND
THERE'S THE SECOND KISS. YES.
TWO WEDDING CEREMONIES IN ONE
DAY DOES HAVE ITS PERKS. NOT
ONLY ARE THERE TO SMOOCHES BY
THE BRIDE AND GROOM, IT ALSO
MEANS TO WALK DOWN THE AISLE TO
CHANCES TO GET COVERED IN ROSE
PETALS. TWO DIFFERENT OUTFITS
FOR JOSEPH BUT ONLY ONE WEDDING
DRESS FOR MADDIE. THE RECEPTION
VENUE WAS A LAST MINUTE CHANGE
WANTING TO PROVIDE AS MUCH
SPACE AS POSSIBLE FOR THEIR
GUESTS TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE
MADDIE AND JOSEPH DECIDED THE
OLD FAMILY BARN WOULD BE THE
BEST PLACE. PRIOR TO THE
WEDDING THE PARENTS HELPED
CLEAR OUT THE BARN FULL
OF TRACTORS. THEY HAD IT
PROFESSIONALLY CLEANED AND
DISINFECTED FOR SAFETY. AND
THEY ALL DECORATED THE BARN
JUST IN TIME FOR SATURDAY'S
RECEPTION. I THINK IT'S VERY,
VERY IMPORTANT TO US. SO WE'RE
TRYING TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE.
THE REAR AREA ON THE SIDE
OF CAUTION PROOF THAT EVEN WITH
ALL THE CORONA VIRUS CRAZINESS
IN OUR LIVES AT THE END OF THE
DAY LOVE ALWAYS COMES OUT ON
TOP. SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR
PHOTOJOURNALIST EMILY POE FOR
TAKING ALL THOSE AMAZING IMAGES
AND IT JUST GOES TO SHOW GUYS
EVEN IN THIS COVID 19 ERA
PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO ADAPT AND
OVERCOME. AND I'VE GOT TO TELL
YOU MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT
THAT. I GOT TWO FAVORITE PARTS
FIRST DOING MAPS THAT ARE CLEAR
SO PEOPLE CAN SEE YOUR SMILES
AND SECONDLY THE BRACELET IDEA
THAT'S GOLD. THAT'S AWESOME
BECAUSE IT WITHOUT HAVING TO
ASK SOMEBODY HOW THEY FEEL YOU
CAN SEE IT WITH THE BRACELET ON
THE WRIST. I DON'T WANT TO WEAR
THOSE 24 HOURS A DAY. I FEEL
THAT IT IS GOLD. YOU ARE
READING MY MIND, BROTHER. THAT
WAS EXACTLY HOW I WAS GOING TO
SAY. I ACTUALLY THINK THAT IDEA
IS BRILLIANT NOT JUST FOR
WEDDINGS PLURAL BUT ALSO JUST
FOR DAILY LIFE. HONESTLY THE
COLOR CODING THEY EVERYTHING
ARE LESS IT SEEMS LIKE EXACTLY
IT IT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT
EVEN THOUGH WE'RE ALL IN THIS
CRISIS WE ALL WORK TOGETHER. WE
CAN GET THROUGH THIS WITH NEW