Alyssi 3.jpeg

Alyssi & Darryon Babineaux

June 20, 2020

How did you meet and where? We met through mutual friends. We attended the same school, but never formally met one another. We were Facebook friends and I posted a “texting buddy” status in the summer of 2012 and Darryon commented to text me. We officially began dating on Nov, 8, 2012. And the rest is history!

How did he propose and where? He proposed on our family summer vacation to New York City in front of a fountain in Central Park. We were taking a picture in front of the fountain, since I love taking lots of pictures on every vacation we go on. In the middle of our picture, he got down on one knee and proposed while on camera.

What was your original plan for the wedding? We planned to elope in either another state or out of the country. Eventually, we changed our minds to stay in our town because not all of our immediate family members could afford to come with us if we went away.

When did you realize you were going to have to change your plans? When the pandemic happened, our bachelor/bachelorette trips were canceled and my bridal shower was almost canceled. The bridal shower still went on with only 10 people as part of the restrictions.

What was your reaction? I was very stressed out and sad. I cried a lot and got in contact with all of my vendors to let them know to keep in touch if they had to cancel for any reason. I was having my wedding on our planned date no matter what, even if it meant it could only be Darryon and I with the officiant.

What was the most difficult/stressful part of changing your wedding plans and how did you adapt? Telling people that they couldn’t come to the reception was very difficult and stressful in itself. We adapted by telling ourselves over and over again that it’s not our choice and we hoped that everyone would understand.

How did your spouse uplift you during this time or how did you uplift him? He uplifted me by helping me find a new party bus after our first choice had to cancel on us. He helped me so much with keeping calm by telling me everything would come together. I uplifted my spouse by telling him no matter what our wedding would be perfect because in the end we would become one. We had waited for so long to get married and nothing was going to stop us.

How did your COVID19 modified wedding compare to your original plans? We had way less people there to celebrate with us which was saddening. We had the entire 50 percent show up, so we know that if we could’ve had more people we would have had more show up to celebrate with us. Also, we had a water slide party 2 weeks before the wedding to make up for our bachelor/bachelorette trips being canceled. But, we know it would’ve been more memorable and fun if we actually had our trips with our wedding party.

How did you let your guests know? I mailed my guests that were included in our 50 percent capacity a card-stock letter stating that they were still able to attend the ceremony and reception, and that they needed to RSVP before June 10 so we could give a final count to our reception building. The ones who couldn’t be included in our 50 perccent count of the reception also got a letter stating that we were very sad to announce that they couldn’t attend our reception due to COVID-19 restrictions of only a 50 percent total capacity in our buildings. The church we got married in (St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Loreauville) was large enough for us to have ALL of our originally invited guests to join in for the ceremony.

What would you tell someone planning a wedding during a pandemic? I would tell them that you cannot change what is happening and to just go with the flow. It is better to not stress and just let things settle on their own rather than drive yourself crazy. A pandemic during your wedding planning is something that you will NEVER forget and that allows everyone to remember our wedding even more than if it was during a normal time.

What would you have done differently? I would have gotten ready earlier in the day to be able to have more time to relax before the ceremony. I was so nervous going to the ceremony, I wish I would have had more time to breathe before. Also, at the reception I wish we would’ve rented an extra hour for more time to party. The pictures we took of everyone with the cake and family took longer than expected and we didn’t get to celebrate as much as we wanted to with our guests. We love to celebrate with our friends and family and more time with them would’ve made the night even more perfect than it already was!

Do you plan on having another celebration when restrictions are lifted? Why or why not? Nope, our wedding was perfect in every way. We are married and that’s all that matters to us! We had a videographer and photographer to capture all of the memories for those who couldn’t make it. We are ready to start our lives as a married couple, I graduate in December from UL and then plan on getting a full time job to catch up on financials. Then, hopefully babies in the future!

Vendor Shout Out

Gown: Charisma Bridals & Formals – Lafayette

Rings: Kay Jewelers – Gonzalez

Food: Envie Catering – St. Martinville

Venue: The Manor Facility – St. Martinville

Florist: Hobby Lobby – New Iberia (bought the flowers there and made everything myself)

Hair: Merle Norman Studio, Salon & Aesthetic Spa – New Iberia

Makeup: Merle Norman Studio, Salon & Aesthetic Spa – New Iberia