COVID Love: Couple Gets Married At US-Canada Border So Family Can Attend
(CNN) -- A Canadian couple got married on the US-Canada border so family and friends from both countries could attend despite travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Lindsay Clowes and Alex Leckie, both 29, exchanged vows on October 10 on a pier along the St. Croix River in New Brunswick surrounded by loved ones.
But guests at St. Stephen Wharf weren't the only ones to witness the couple's nuptials. Across the river in Calais, Maine, stood aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who also watched them tie the knot. In the middle of the river separating the two countries floated a boat where the Clowes' grandparents witnessed the special day from a safe distance.
"It couldn't have gone any better. I wouldn't change anything about it," Clowes told CNN. "It turned out to be a lot more special than anything else we could have done."
The couple, who have been together for more than six years, got engaged in November 2019 and planned to get married in August 2020. But when the coronavirus pandemic broke out, shutting down borders, schools, and businesses, their plans had to change.
They initially postponed the wedding to 2021, but as their original wedding date came and went, Clowes said the two decided they couldn't wait any longer to be married.
"I had this idea in the back of my head I always called Plan B to get married on the river so family can join us by boat and the other side of the river," Clowes said. "I called my parents and I said, 'I have this idea, what do you think?' And they loved it and really helped us bring that vision to life so we were able to plan it and have the wedding within six weeks."
Due to coronavirus restrictions, the couple had to make sure they didn't exceed 50 people on the Canadian side and 15 people on the US side, and all had to social distance. Everyone played role to make the wedding happen, Clowes said. Her parents called the mayor to organize the event, while friends did her hair and makeup.
"As I was waiting to walk down the aisle, the butterflies started to come and I started to get a little bit nervous but as soon as we walked out and I saw Alex, and I could see my family in the boat just off the wharf and our family standing on the wharf, I was overwhelmed with happiness to see Alex there and all our family and friends together in such a cool and unique way," Clowes said.
While it may not have been the wedding they initially envisioned, Clowes said it was still the wedding of her dreams.
The-CNN-Wire
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