BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Kristi Grabowski of Niagara Falls and her fiancee Frank are to be married in late September. But COVID-19 could change things.
"I probably won't get a shower or a bachelorette party," Grabowski said. "That stuff doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things but it all goes into this big fun event that's supposed to be your wedding."
Grabowski's not alone. Many couples suddenly find themselves navigating the unknown.
Kim Taberski of K Marie Wedding Planning in Williamsville has been working with brides including Grabowski, helping them through this difficult time.
"Wedding planning right now is like therapy," Taberski said. "It's sitting there and listening to everybody's concerns and seeing what's important to them and guiding their decision."
Taberski knows all too well how difficult rearranging a wedding can be. She's also a bride-to-be who had to postpone her wedding.
But the question now: when will weddings be allowed to return?
"Gatherings will be the last to open up and even those will still have restrictions on it," Dr. Gale Burstein, Erie County Commissioner of Health said. "So people have to really think about alternative strategies to bring people together in a virtual manner."
Taberski and her team know some brides want to get married now which is why they're looking into helping couples tap into vendor relationships and putting together elopement packages.
"That's what a lot of people want to focus on, it's really important that they're one and they get married now," she said. "They want to continue their whole life together and move on with their family."
But a virtual wedding isn't for everyone which is why brides to be like Grabowski are planning, waiting, and hoping for the best.
"It sounds cliche but I found the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. You only get this day once and you only get to do it once and I want to do it right," Grabowski said. "It's tough. Just gotta stay positive I guess!"
