After over a year of talking about COVID elopements, it almost feels cliché to do so: The couple postpone their big celebration but still commemorate their original wedding date. Their community can’t be there to witness and enjoy the moment, so they make it intimate, focus on themselves, their love and commitment. Whatever else it is, an elopement is unquestionably about the marriage—the coming together of hearts, speaking truths to one another, holding to one another despite the bleak, quasi-dystopian pandemicscape.
When couples like Keeley & Daniel still want their beloved tribe to experience their union, though, they find a way, starting with live-streaming the ceremony—bringing the wedding to the guests instead of the guests to the wedding. Keeley & Daniel went several steps further to honor and include their community in their elopement day, as well as imbuing every aspect possible with their own delightful, meticulous, creative, classy, and fun personalities.
It started with the venue. Bridge Club is the perfect spot for anyone who loves both high quality food and art deco; Keeley & Daniel one-up’d those qualifications and got engaged following a date night at Death & Taxes, the restaurant above which Bridge Club is situated. On their elopement day, they spent the early afternoon setting up together: Keeley arranged all the flowers, including her gorgeous bouquet and the flowers on the cake, which Daniel made from scratch. Keeley’s veil served as her something borrowed: it came from her faraway Best Woman who sent it to Keeley prior to the wedding.
Not only did their heartfelt custom ceremony include readings that caused just about everyone present to tear up or weep openly, Daniel married Keeley with her late mother’s wedding band, the perfect sentimental complement to her custom sapphire engagement ring. After Keeley & Daniel were pronounced married, kissed, hugged adorably, and recessed out of the ceremony into a sweet first dance, they cut the cake—which was displayed next to their parents’ wedding photos on a keepsake stand Daniel’s father hand-turned and stamped with their names and wedding date. They closed out their livestream with a toast to all of their loved ones near and far.
Keeley and Daniel’s elopement is an apex example of both DIY excellence and how to surround yourself with the love of a supportive community who can’t be present physically. They’ll enjoy a big deferred celebration this September, and seeing how their elopement went, that celebration is bound to be colorful, joyous, creative, and full of boundless love.
Link to original blog; https://www.mkm.photos/Blog/Keeley-Eloped-Bridge-Club
Vendor List:
Venue: Bridge Club, Raleigh
Photographer: Kate Marchetto, MKM Photography
Officiant: Rev. Heidi Gessner, Weddings by Heidi
Dress by Bariano Australia from Lulu’s
Groom attire by Generation Tux
Engagement Ring by Alternatives Lapidary
