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Crossed Keys Estate Wedding: Brittany & Sean

Remember Brittany and Sean from their Cape May Engagement session this past summer? Well, they were able to pull off their Crossed Keys Estate Wedding during the pandemic of 2020. They’ve had quite the year dealing with this pandemic both personally and professionally, and I was so happy they were able to celebrate with their best friends and family. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, they decided to do two ceremonies: one in church with just family, and the second one outside in the lovely garden of Crossed Keys Estate. Overall the day went better than they imagined, everyone remained healthy, and I’m so happy I was able to document this amazing day for them both.

Here are some thoughts by our newlyweds…

When planning your wedding, what were you most looking forward to? Given the anxiety and stress of planning a safe wedding during a pandemic, we were looking forward to a lot. We were looking forward to Brittany walking down the aisle to Sean (not once — but twice!), to our handwritten vows, and to sharing our special day with as many friends and family that could attend given the circumstances. We were also so excited for how our venue was going to look with the flowers and decor and beautiful natural ambiance that Crossed Keys has on its own. The sunflowers, lights, and greenery exceeded our expectations. It felt like a dream.

What were some of your favorite moments from your wedding day? Definitely walking down the aisle (both times!), our vows, walking out on to the dance floor when the DJ announced us…honestly, it’s so hard to pick a favorite moment because we felt like were walking on air the whole day and night.

If you could do it all again, would you change anything? NO PANDEMIC, but other than that, we wouldn’t change a thing.

Any advice for future couples planning their weddings? Enjoy every minute. Don’t worry about talking to anyone. Don’t worry too much about how you look. Take off the uncomfortable shoes. Just do whatever you want to do. It’s your day and you worked hard enough. And if you’re ever doubting whether all of the stress is worth it, take it from a COVID couple, IT IS.

Is there anything else you would like to add? When we found out in March about the pandemic and decided in June (after knowing we’d be permitted by state guidelines to do so) to go forward with our wedding, we went into it with the goal of our wedding being a rainbow of hope in a dumpster fire of a year. It turned out to be exactly that for us and for everyone who attended. We are so lucky and grateful that we were able to have such a beautiful and special day with so many loved ones in attendance. It wasn’t exactly how we planned it (limited dance floor, masks, two ceremonies, etc.) but it was symbolic for a lot about how we want to approach our marriage: figuring out how to make it work (even when it’s hard) and always looking on the bright side. We are beyond grateful that we were able to have a wedding that brings a smile to our faces and hearts every time we think about it.