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Couple postpones wedding over coronavirus concerns

Mariah Mason and her fiance, Josh Carpenter, had planned a May 9 wedding and will now be married on Oct. 17. (Photo Provided)

VINCENT, Ohio — For one Mid-Ohio Valley couple, the coronavirus meant postponing an important date — their wedding.

“Yesterday I literally had a mental breakdown because I had gotten all these notifications,” said Mariah Mason, about the ever-changing coronavirus situation. “I started talking to my fiance and family, and we all decided that if we went ahead and have it, we wouldn’t have a good turnout anyway. We decided to postpone so the economy can get back to normal and hopefully by the new date, the economy will have sprung back up and we will give people plenty of time to prepare for it.

“It seems to spread like wildfire. I just felt as quick as it spreads, I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

Mason and her fiance, Josh Carpenter, also of Newport, had planned to get married on May 9 at Soul’s Harbor Baptist Church with a reception following at the Broughton Foundation. Now their new date is Oct. 17.

“We were not taking a chance. They say the virus will keep spiraling and will last until July or August.”

She said they weren’t able to get their marriage license right now, with the courts being closed or reducing their hours to the public.

Mason said that everyone, from the pastor and wedding party, to the florist and reception venue, have been good about rescheduling.

“My pastor has already canceled church for three weeks, so he was very understanding. The Broughton Foundation said a lot of others have canceled as well.”

“Everyone has been very understanding and willing to work with us. I know it is frustrating when people have to rebook or reschedule.”

She will continue to meet with her wedding planner to work things out, and said she is glad she didn’t lose money changing dates, especially with the reception. “If we had lost money from our reception venue, we wouldn’t have been able to have (a reception.)

“In the midst of all of this we had my shower on March 15,” she said, with 50 people attending. “We were fortunate to have had that good of a turnout. People are scared to come out.”

Mason has been informing her guests about the change in plans via social media. “I made a Facebook page for our wedding, I’ve been informing everybody that way and have called. We will send out a new invitation with the correct date on it for everyone as well.”

She said she and her fiance are still in good spirits despite the setback. “We’re trying not to get too upset about it.”

Contact Amy Phelps at aphelps@newsandsentinel.com.

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