COVID no match for Cupid as P.E.I. wedding goes ahead

It wasn't exactly how they envisioned their wedding, but COVID-19 was not going to stop Ryan Woods and Amandah Turner from becoming husband and wife.

And it was going to happen on May 23. The day marked the anniversary of their first date four years ago. 

What wasn't going to happen, with COVID-19 restrictions in place, was the church wedding with 110 guests they had planned.

Instead, they exchanged their vows in front of a few friends and family — maintaining physical distancing — in their front yard in Mayfield, P.E.I.

The rest of the guests, including Ryan's family in the U.K., watched via Zoom or Facebook Live.

"We could see them waving on the other side of the computer screen, which was quite cool," Ryan said.

We could see them waving on the other side of the computer screen which was quite cool.— Ryan Woods

"We still had everyone there watching that we wanted to be there and probably more people than we would have had if we had done it the first way."

The couple met in the U.K. in 2016. She was visiting with a friend and he was busking with a band. 

Ryan thought Amandah was exotic because she was from Canada.

They stayed in a long-distance relationship, then he moved to P.E.I. and proposed. They had most of the wedding planned when the pandemic hit.

Amandah said they talked about postponing until May 23, 2021, but couldn't wait that long. It turns out COVID is no match for Cupid.

"In the end we both really just decided that we really wanted to marry each other so we just went ahead and did it with, of course, the blessing of his family."

Got hair done

It was a good sign when they learned barbershops and hair salons would be allowed to open May 22, just in time to get their hair done.

They still had a cake and a photographer. 

They still exchanged vows and rings, and he still kissed the bride. When travel restrictions are lifted, they plan to travel to the U.K. as part of their honeymoon, where they will have a celebration with Ryan's family.

There are other couples on P.E.I. wrestling with the same decisions. 

"My advice is really just to roll with it," Amandah said. "That's what we had to do." 

"It was kind of exciting," Ryan added. "We did a few silly things that you can't do at a traditional wedding like having pictures taken with your masks on."

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