For Javi and Micahel, saying “I do” came with all the love and elation that these two powerful words convey on a newly wed couple. But, they also came with a big sigh of relief because they culminated not one, not two, but three attempts at tying the knot. “Once we said: ‘I do,’ we both thought, ‘let’s not do that, again!’” 

If planning a wedding is a Herculean effort, imagine planning one during Covid. Michael and Javi, who we featured last year in our Engagement Stories column, were set to tie the knot in Javi’s home country of Puerto Rico. By the time the pandemic took hold, the August wedding was “fully planned” at the top of a rainforest for 120 guests. 

As Michael explained, “wishful thinking kept us thinking that August could still happen.” As conditions shifted and Puerto Rico issued new weekly Covid regulations, Javi and Michael kept altering their plans. Every new mandate meant a new wedding! And, while their guests kept their intention of joining Javi and Michael for their big day, when Canada closed its borders in June and prevented Javi’s best friend and bridesmaid from traveling, the couple knew it was time to call the wedding off, a month before walking down the aisle.

“We had decided we’d wait until this year [2021],” Javi shared, “but we had a Zoom with our families and they all encouraged us to go ahead and get married!” 

Through the owner of their original venue, they were introduced to an officiant who specialized in marrying tourists. She knew of a beach where they could marry and the two were ready again. “We never wanted to be the couple that got married on a beach,” but knowing this was one of their only options, they embraced the idea. And, boy did they embrace it as they had three days from finding out about the available beach to their wedding day. “Oh, and we had to be there at the exact hour as we would only have 30-minutes to be on the beach,” Javi pointed out.

That was, until two days prior to their wedding, Puerto Rico shut down the beaches. As Javi explained, “it felt like the world did not want us to get married!” 

But, not to be deterred, Javi and Michael’s officiant found another venue, Casa Palo Grande in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, and two weeks after calling off their August wedding, the two got married on July 18th of last year. Eight people attended in real life, while their closest friends and family were on Zoom. “We each wore an AirPod so that people on Zoom could hear the wedding,” Michael noted. And, while no further gathering was allowed, Javi’s sister invited people to her house for cake and shared with the couple a video that their wedding party had made for them. As Javi said, “it was like they were there.” 

Javi went on to explain that, while he had dreamed of a traditional wedding and would have wanted their bridesmaids there, Michael’s family and had a mother and son dance, “the people who were there, were our closest family and friends. Truly. We shared this moment just with them.” 

And for Michael, their wedding made him realize that there wasn’t a need for a big wedding. “Covid made us realize what was most important to us. It made us think what we really wanted for our wedding, which was a beautiful wedding, in a beautiful place with the people who matter most to us. And we had it.” 

“The pandemic really taught Javi and I to love each other.” Last year did have its gifts.

Venue: Casa Palo Grande (@casapalogrande)
Vows Book: Paper Crafts (@paper_craftspr)
Photos: Claudia Vicenta (@shotbyclaudiavicente)
Rings: Blue Nile (@bluenile)
Decor: Jose Luis (@jose_luis_expresion_creativa)
Officiant: Aida (@getmarriedpuertorico)