An Intimate Wedding at Folsom Lake

08-27-2020

As the saying goes, “when you can’t beat ’em, join ’em”. Case in point: Hayley and Rob couldn’t beat COVID-19 with love alone. So they joined the growing number of creative couples around the world who’ve reimagined their wedding day to fit the constraints of the crisis. It took a dash of flexibility, a pinch of DIY, and the buy-in of some awesome family to transform Rob’s family home into a wedding venue. It was no small feat. But their intimate wedding at Folsom Lake was a day they’ll never forget.

You’ve got to have some “go-getter” in you to craft a wedding during a pandemic, and Hayley and Rob have got that “go-getter” thing down. They first met a few years back when working for the same company. While that wouldn’t necessarily involve falling in love, it was when Hayley approached Rob for professional advice and pointers that they really connected. And before long, those meetings shifted from professional to personal matters. Friendship turned to dating, and dating to love, and love to engagement. The date was set, and the Bay-Area venue booked–and then COVID-19 hit. While some couples might have frozen by indecision, these two quickly dreamed up a new intimate wedding plan.

California’s social distancing measures meant that Hayley and Rob would need to get creative to make their wedding happen. They drafted two guestlists so family could join them for the morning, and friends in the afternoon. They set up a multi-cam Zoom connection so loved ones all over the place could tune in for the ceremony. Our newlyweds built a zoom greeting time into the day so they could give virtual guests some attention too. And Rob’s family set up their backyard overlooking Folsom Lake so that guests could relax around spaced-out tables. And, of course, they gave guests masks emblazoned with the date and hashtag. Take a look . . .

If you can survive wedding planning, you can survive just about anything. And Hayley and Rob survived wedding planning during a pandemic. The can-do mindset, playfulness and flexibility they showed at their intimate wedding give me the sense that they can take all of life’s curveballs in stride. These two are most definitely better together.

Congratulations to you, Hayley and Rob, and I pray all the best for you as you grow together!