ORANGE PARK – COVID-19 has affected every aspect of life, including matrimony.

Throughout the county, brides and grooms-to-be who have had to drastically change their wedding plans as a result of the coronavirus.

“It was going to be April 5,” bride-to-be Ashley Wilson said. “That day passed right by and it would’ve been a perfect day.”

Wilson’s parents have always believed rain to be a sign of good luck. It rained on their wedding day Wilson hoped for rain on her wedding day. Then the novel coronavirus struck and April 5 wasn’t the special wedding day it was supposed to be. It was spent inside, the wedding postponed, because it rained.

“Of course, it rained, right?” Wilson said. “The weather was perfect on the day that was supposed to be our wedding. That really [stunk].”

Ashley and Timothy have been together for about five years. They decided that it was time to get married in July of last year and soon after set a date. That day came and went without a ceremony.

Wilson remembers grabbing lunch at the Orange Park Mall food court one day earlier last month and realizing that significantly less people were there.

“I remember thinking, ‘this is not good.’ People were already staying inside at that point and soon after that day, my work sent employees home, restaurants started closing...it was scary.”

The Wilsons began to worry their wedding would need to be postponed. Some of their family was supposed to travel for the wedding, but most was already in Florida. One of the groomsmen was unable to make after his flight from California was canceled. Things continued to escalate and the couple decided to postpone the wedding.

As far as picking a new date went, it was fairly easy. The two are shooting for something later this year but are fine with waiting until things clear up.

“I’ve been waiting five years to marry this guy so postponing a few more months wasn’t going to kill me,” Wilson said. “I was never the little girl with a dream wedding. That day was more about us coming together in marriage.”

Not wanting to wait, the couple got married at the courthouse.

“Coronavirus or not, I was going to become a Wilson,” she said.

The vendors involved have all been extremely helpful. The Hilltop in Orange Park was fine with rescheduling. The DJ and other vendors also were happy to reschedule with no additional charges.

“My family and everyone involved in this have been beyond supportive and that’s all I can ask for in times like this,” Wilson said. “For now, we have each other.”