The coronavirus pandemic was just starting to become something more than ‘an issue happening somewhere else in the world’, and as restrictions on life as we knew it took hold, our April 18 date began to look further and further away.
But inevitable does not necessarily mean certain — think Kyabram in the Goulburn Valley League in 2018, or Liverpool in the English Premier League this season — so still we held out hope.
We nurtured the tiny flame of positivity by continuing with our preparations: fitting the suits, meeting with the reception venue and our priest — and, of course, hosting Grace's Hen's Party (the Buck's Party was scheduled for this weekend).
But soon the winds of change blew too strong.
State and territory borders began to close — cutting us off from the majority of our immediate family — and restrictions on gatherings and weddings themselves began to constrict until that flame became but a puff of smoke and our decision was made for us.
It is certainly a hollow feeling to have to put what is meant to be one of the happiest days of your life on hold indefinitely due to a global crisis.
There were plenty of tears — and as what was meant to be ‘our’ day approaches there will be plenty more.
But this ordeal has certainly put some things in perspective for us.
We worked so hard to plan — and by we, I mean Grace did the bulk of the work and I nodded yes or no when needed — and save for our dream wedding, and although we have had to postpone it until later in the year we will still get married and we will still live happily ever after, so in the end it was a simple call.
But we are also safe and healthy and both still drawing an income — facts that put us in the category of ‘extremely lucky'.
So instead of wallowing too much, we will continue to look on the bright side — and prepare for one hell of a celebration when all of this eventually blows over.
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