This is how this couple lived their Zoom wedding

Why did a young couple decide to get married on Zoom in the middle of a pandemic? After asking this question to several people, most of them answered "surely because they don't have patience!" However, for Rosa and Alberto, April 30, 2020 was the happiest and most special day of their lives , because they showed the world and themselves that love has no barriers. With courage and resilience they decided to be pioneers in Colombia of a reality that has always been there, but only few have dared to see it: virtual weddings.

This charismatic and young couple from Cartagena celebrated their wedding in the virtual company of their loved ones, do you think it's crazy ? Well, it seems crazy to them to pause their lives just because of a pandemic.

Their decision is summed up in Alberto's words: “adapting to situations together as a couple is also part of life”.

The engaged couple would give their wedding vows at Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo Church on July 18, 2020 at 7:30 at night, or well … those were the plans before humanity suddenly faced the pandemic. 

On May 29, 2018, during the celebration of their 2 years of dating, Alberto took Rosa to the Club de Pesca Restaurant, a privileged site for its old construction and beautiful view of the bay . After a romantic dinner, Alberto asked Rosa to marry him. After receiving the expected “yes”, they sealed their vows with a kiss and went to a social area where all their friends were already waiting to celebrate the engagement.

Before putting the ring on his beloved, Alberto had already asked his father-in-law for his wife's hand. In this regard, the girlfriend remembers with emotion: "I am super attached to my dad, he spent all that week super nervous, and I did not realize it, and it was because he already knew, Alberto had asked for my hand before and I had no idea . "

Regarding the ring, Rosa adds, “It has a beautiful story because the mother-in-law gave the diamond to my husband to give it to me, so they made my ring with that diamond. I did not expect it at all. Everyone was hinting at me, but I didn't believe. Obviously I was super dressed up and all because that day we were celebrating an anniversary, but I did not even imagine it!

That same day, Rosa and Alberto called the church and the next morning they went to the Catholic compound to reserve their wedding day. Despite the busy schedule of the church, they were able to set aside Saturday, July 18, 2020, an ideal day. 

Rosa and Alberto took all possible precautions to make the big day perfect, including giving advanced notice to their family and friends living abroad so that they could travel from the United States, Poland and other countries to their celebration in Colombia.

What could change the plans of Rosa and Alberto, who had so carefully prepared themselves for the most important day of their lives?

Rosa: "It was a marriage of 200 guests … when the pandemic came … I started crying horribly, " My marriage! ", I already had the dress ready, I had the hotel, I had a decorator, production, everything was ready "

Alberto: “We said, well, we have two options, we postpone starting life as a couple formally until the unknown end of the pandemic, or we make the decision to get married now in the middle of what is happening and and to start our life as a couple ”.

Rosa: “My family is very conservative, they were not going to let me go without getting married (laughs), so we made the decision and said“ well, the important thing is that we love each other and we are going to make the decision to get married ”.

This was how it spontaneously occurred to them to organize a lunch at Alberto's family home to celebrate the engagement. Given the restrictions back then, Rosa's couple and parents were only authorized to stay at her in-laws' house until 4:00 pm. The virtual meeting was attended by close friends and the whole family, a total of more than 50 connected people.

Ironically, Rosa and Alberto were so focused on their ceremony that they forgot to take pictures!

Rosa confesses that she felt that everything happened very quickly: "all the people who were there felt involved, my dad also said some very emotional words, almost everyone cried, we felt as if we had been with them despite the distance!"

Also read: Dealing with the loss of a loved one during the pandemic

The wedding was not the only event for this couple that took place virtually. Despite the fact that Rosa had initially scheduled two bachelorette parties (one in Santa Marta and the other in San Andrés), her friends also celebrated her party by video call with naked men in wallpaper.

As soon as the couple returned home after the ceremony, their friends sent them another link in which they were waiting for them this time with a drink in hand to continue the celebration.

Rosa : We received many gifts, although at that time I was not thinking about any of that. I was crying for my party (laughs),  I was super sad, but well … We have received the gifts that we never expected because I could not make a gift list or home shower. 

Regarding whether they recommend other couples to celebrate their wedding by video call, both agree that, although it depends on each one, their experience was very pleasant. So much so, that a couple of their friends followed suit and recently also celebrated their wedding by Zoom.

Rosa and Alberto's love story shows how true union is about overcoming life's difficulties together, even if that means moving from a luxurious wedding in the walled city to a humble celebration at their parents' house, all as long as they can be together.