NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A bride and groom-to-be, who were scheduled to get married on Saturday, said yesterday that after numerous postponements, rearranging with vendors and thousands of dollars in sunk cost due to COVID-19, they will rush plans to get married today.
Kellie Allen, 28, and Dominique Smith, 28, originally planned their dream day in June.
Restrictions due to the ongoing pandemic forced them to delay three times.
The couple almost gave up hope, but took the reopening of various sectors of the economy and the easement of restrictions last month as a sign to press forward.
But Allen said she burst into tears on Monday amid widespread speculation of an upcoming lockdown and the chance the couple’s wedding plans would once again fall apart.
Her fears became a reality on Wednesday when Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced new restrictions, for New Providence and Abaco, including a 24-hour curfew over the holiday weekend.
“It starts to play with your mind,” Allen told Eyewitness News.
“When you put effort into something and you want something and it’s just not happening.
“It starts to make you feel like, I don’t deserve this, or I’m not supposed to do this or something like that. All the overthinking and stuff like that really plays on your mind.”
During his address in Parliament, the prime minister said the new measures were necessary for both islands as the healthcare center was on the brink of collapse.
In addition to the 24-hour weekend curfews, Minnis also announced a weekday nightly curfew from 7pm to 5am beginning next week Tuesday.
He did not indicate when the restrictions would end.
According to the prime minister, authorities will also closely monitor Airbnb rentals and those who breach the emergency orders.
Notwithstanding rescheduling vendors, obtaining vouchers from a planned honeymoon trip to a Family Island, Allen and Smith stand to lose well over $1,000.
To cancel, would cost them thousands more.
“We’re doing it tomorrow (Friday),” Allen said. “I had to bump up the date. I had to contact everyone, all the vendors in the last two days and I was able to get just about everything sorted out.
“When I called, they were all sharing in my frustration and telling me ‘don’t panic, don’t overthink it and no need to be upset; we’re going to do what we have to do to make sure you have what you need’.
“These are people I have been dealing with for months and months. I have built these relationships for over the past seven months.”
Additionally, Allen and Smith had to uninvite close relatives and limit the wedding to just the bridal party and their parents.
The pair also canceled what was an already scaled back reception.
Pausing for a while, Allen said despite not being able to have the wedding she dreamed of, she put her marriage and soon-to-be-husband first, realizing “what was more important”.
“I had to focus on what’s important,” she said.
“The day and the event is not as important as what I want, and I want to have is a successful marriage, so I figure I need to get my life going, as opposed to sitting down waiting on one day because that’s not what really matters to me.
“What matters to me is expressing how I feel to him before God and making that commitment for another, and starting our new journey.”
The soon-to-be Smiths will remain at their home this weekend, and “sit on the porch and have a drink and pretend like we’re somewhere else”.
Allen said her family has asked her to hold a “full wedding” for their one-year anniversary.
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