BEAVERTON, Ore. — This year’s wedding season is upon us. Unfortunately, you’ll have to add wedding plans to the growing list of things getting thrown out like a bouquet.
“It’s a strange way to launch into marriage, but it’s also a very beautiful way too in the midst of everything that’s going on,” Ashley Mikhail said from her Beaverton home.
She and her husband Riad can offer some advice to couples trying to get married during a pandemic.
“Making the most of what we have…especially in times like these that are so hard,” she said.
There’s a reason why they’re the perfect couple to encourage those who may have already sent out those save-the-dates.
“Our focus is to get married, it’s not about the wedding.”
Three days removed from their own wedding, they’ve vowed to grow stronger together and find the beauty in simplicity.
“The difference has been rather than being in a big venue, they’ve been in people’s backyards,” said pastor David Hughes. He’s done a couple of small backyard weddings over the past two weekends, including Ashley’s—who happens to be his daughter.
From bigger plans to a more intimate gathering, there were only eight people in attendance. Their friends even drove by in a parade after they said “I do.”
“I think when you’re going through what everybody’s going through right now, you want to spend it with the people you’re closest to,” said David.
Riad and Ashley acknowledge that a dream wedding is a big deal to a lot of people, but celebrating the small things has given them quite the beginning in their journey together. They’re also planning a bigger celebration once restrictions are lifted on gatherings
“In a time like this where it’s really easy to go to the negative…just remember that there’s always hope,” said Riad. “This is just temporary and this is something that’s going to end and we just have to do the best that we can with it.”