Here comes the bride: How coronavirus has impacted weddings in the Cape Fear

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — This year, it’s not April Showers putting a damper on wedding day plans.

“We’ve had to reschedule about 15 weddings already from the spring into either the fall or the next year,” Jana Ingraham said.

Wedding planner and owner of Design a Dream Events Jana Ingraham says just like many other business owners, the COVID-19 outbreak has taken its toll on her business and her brides.

She says the brides are taking it surprisingly well, and after rescheduling they can finally take a breath.

“I can deal with what we’re dealing with now. Instead of trying to juggle to very important things,” she said. “A wedding, which is very costly and a lot of planning is involved and a lot of people involved to this worldly pandemic that we’re dealing with. I mean that’s two really big stressors.”

While the stress is lifted off the brides, Ingraham is still feeling the impacts as a business owner.

“It’s affecting us for the new year because our reschedules have hit some really popular dates for next year that we can’t book anymore,” she said.

But she says it’s about the big picture.

“Once they start going into 2021 it’s hard, but it’s not really about us anymore. For us, we have completely taken that loss.”

She says it’s about the clients, and making sure they can celebrate their special day.

And two clients were able to say ‘I do’ on their dream dates.

Sarah Cimino, and her husband Chris, held a small ceremony with just their parents and their siblings joined through Facetime on March 28.

Sarah Cimino and husband Chris marry on March 28 (photo: Susie Linquist)

Ali Grimes, and her husband Thomas, held a small ceremony as well in Wrightsville Beach. Friends and family watched from boats and inside their homes on April 17.

Ali Grimes and husband Thomas marry on April 17 (photo: Katherine George)

Both brides have rescheduled their large ceremonies and receptions for later this year or early next year with planner Jana Ingraham.

They say while their days did not turn out as planned, it ended up being very special to share an intimate day with their now-husbands and close family members.