A New York couple practiced safe social distancing during their outdoor wedding by having the ceremony officiated by a friend from the window of his fourth floor apartment.
Reilly Jennings and Amanda Wheeler said they decided to move up their wedding, which was originally scheduled for October, due to fears the coronavirus crisis could worsen, so they procured a marriage license Thursday from the New York City Marriage Bureau with the intention of returning the following day for the ceremony.
The couple found their plans foiled Friday when Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered the bureau closed indefinitely amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jennings and Wheeler elicited the help of friend Matt Wilson, a licensed marriage officiant, and held their wedding on the street outside of Wilson's apartment in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.
Wheeler officiated the ceremony by leaning out the window of his apartment and shouting to the couple, who were on the street below.
"After a somber afternoon, one of our friends texted us on a group chat, letting us know he was ordained by the county clerk of New York and could do it," Jennings told CNN.
"We texted, 'Wanna marry us outside your window in the next 24hrs?' and he said 'YES!' To that I replied, 'How about in 90 minutes?' We both finished up work meetings, got dressed, picked up some flowers, and headed to his apartment around the corner," she said.
Source: UPI