New York couple gets hitched amid COVID-19 lockdown, online wedding party joins in on Zoom

As public gatherings are prohibited in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a couple from Long Island City in New York decided to get married in the virtual presence of an officiating clerk, with their friends and family joining the celebrations on a Zoom video call.

According to an international media report, the couple had been planning to get married when the United States was put under lockdown and they thought will have to postpone the wedding to September which obviously made them sad. 

However, as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order last month allowing couples to obtain marriage license remotely and permitting clerks to perform the wedding virtually, Mark Van Name and Jennie O’Leary decided to go for it. The couple sent out online wedding invites and had a small ceremony in a backyard. 

READ: Good News: Cadbury Launches Limited Edition Chocolates, Himalayas Visible From Saharanpur

The Zoom wedding

Jimmy Van Bramer, who is a member of the local council, agreed to marry the couple in person in his backyard. As per reports, the guests who were invited to the virtual wedding were also told to were ‘Zoom formal’; however, the couple kept pants ‘optional’. On the wedding day, the couple dressed in their wedding attire and headed to Bramer’s house where they were legally declared husband and wife. 

The newlyweds also repeated the ceremony in front of their friends who were virtually present. The couple stacked a few books on top of one another, placed a laptop over it, and said ‘I do’ again for their friends on Zoom to witness the heartwarming moment.

An online wedding celebration was not what Mark and Jennie had in mind, nevertheless, the couple arranged for flowers and champagne to celebrate their big day. Bramer also shared photos of the couple on Twitter, where they both can be seen dressed in their wedding attire, along with gloves and face masks. 

READ: Google India Sees 107% Increase In Searches For 'panipuri Recipe' During Lockdown

Several netizens also showered the couple with their love and congratulated them. One internet user wrote, “So great you could do this! Bravo to you and congrats to the newlyweds”. Another Twitter user added, “Congrats to them. Wishing them lots of happy years together”. 

READ: Video Of Cheetah Playing With Her Cubs Breaks Internet, Netizens All Hearts

READ: Video: Manipur Girl's Rendition Of Neil Young's 'Heart Of Gold' Breaks Internet