Bonnie Lemesh and Dave Katleman, both 59, have already sent invitations to their June 13 virtual Hawaii wedding, complete with a video screen backdrop of palm trees, golden sand and lots of blue ocean. With about 50 family members and close friends, – from Brooklyn to California, watching on Zoom, Denise Daley, a retired San…
Julian Schwarz professed his love to Marika Bournaki in 2007 when they were 16 and students at the Aspen Music Festival and School in Colorado. “I declared my love after curfew and went into her dorm room the night before she left the festival,’’ said Mr. Schwarz, 29, a classical cello soloist and the assistant…
The surprise May 25 wedding De-Shazo Wilkinson put together for his fiancée, Jacarra Wilson, was brought on by an emotional gut punch. After postponing their wedding for a second time in late March because of the coronavirus — the first, last fall, was caused by the shutdown of the venue they had chosen in Orlando,…
Kathleen Anne Berroth and David Michael Diehr debated just about anything after they met in 1996 in their American cultures literature class at Sandy Union High School in Sandy, Ore. “I was a super-liberal hippie,” said Ms. Berroth, who goes by Katie, and was new to the school. “David was, I guess, an independent Ayn…
Earlier this spring, Teresa Clayton’s husband got nervous every time the phone rang. “He said, ‘The second you hear a crying bride, it’s all over,’” said Ms. Clayton, an owner, along with her husband Steve, of Glencliff Manor, a 50-acre wedding venue in Rustburg, Va. “And he’s right.” Ms. Clayton’s weakness for brides’ stories about…
In Unhitched, couples tell the stories of their relationships, from romance to vows to divorce to life afterward. Quarantining during the coronavirus pandemic has given Debi and Marc Ford time to reflect on the mistakes they each made during a nearly 13-year marriage. Both say that chasing external success strained their relationship and kept happiness…
Hair salons, spas and beauty retailers are continuing to help couples prepare for their weddings, even though most have been forced to temporarily close because of the coronavirus. Some are offering services like online tutorials and Instagram Live chats that feature tips from experts. Couples are finding all this support a godsend. “Getting beauty advice…
In times of celebration, growth and uncertainty, the most significant people in our lives extend companionship and support. Sometimes by chance, important bonds are forged instantly over an unplanned event. In other instances, ties develop gradually throughout years of shared experiences. Here’s what 10 people had to say about their connections with their family, friends,…
In December 2006, Bruce Matez invited Deena Betze, to join him at Congregation M’kor Shalom, in Cherry Hill, N.J. There was a rehearsal for the synagogue’s annual comedy and musical revue, and he thought Ms. Betze, a family lawyer at his firm, BorgerMatez, would enjoy it. She accepted. As soon as she walked in, she…
At 7 a.m. on April 30, Pietro Demita and Silvana Persano, the owners of Diamond Couture, which specializes in wedding gowns, were already busy in their atelier in Veglie, Italy. The business partners had chosen nine gowns from their latest collection, hung them on a rack and dragged them in front of their warehouse. Scissors…