Since last year, Krystal Gil and Jack Scanlon have been very excited to plan their wedding for July 11, 2020. It would be a grand wedding with more than 360 guests. What they never thought is that the COVID-19 pandemic would break into the world and that their plans to unite their lives would be delayed.
“I put so sad and worried. It was really very difficult because we had never experienced a global pandemicKrystal says.
“At first when the coronavirus started in March, we thought it was going to pass quickly and that we had a lot of time ahead of us, but when they closed everything again after reopening, we decided we had to change our plans.”
But as time passed and the positive cases and deaths from COVID-19 grew, the couple began to be victims of stress and uncertainty.
Finally, the wedding took place on Saturday, September 12, in an open-air ceremony outside Santa María Magdalena, a church built during World War I in 1914 in the town of Camarillo in Ventura County.
Only 80 were invited to the religious union, not the hundreds they originally planned.
“We will wait until next year, when the pandemic is over, to have a party with 360 guests as we had planned when we got engaged.Krystal says.
She grew up in the San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles County; and he was born in Camarillo where he lived until he went to school.
“We met at the Ohio Franciscan University. I was like 18 years old, but we started dating about a year and a half ago. It was in July 2019 when my boyfriend proposed to me, ”she recalls.
Krystal graduated from economics, followed by a master’s degree in business administration. Her now husband studied finance. She is 25 years old; and he, 27.
First they thought of an area of Pasadena to celebrate their wedding, then they chose the Mission San Gabriel church that she attended as a child.
But just on July 11, the day they initially chose to marry, a spectacular fire in Mission San Gabriel where the wedding would take place, postponed their marriage plans.
“I was really disappointed. I cried because there were already five or even ten times that we made changes of plans; and we had a big Mexican wedding planned with many people ”.
One of the things that took Krystal the hardest to accept was that due to the coronavirus, her 90-year-old maternal great-grandmother was not going to be there.
After the San Gabriel Mission fire, they continued to search for another church where they could marry outdoors, one that could accommodate their families and allow for social distance.
“We thought of Saint Jude Catholic Church in Westlake Village in Los Angeles, but a month ago, we chose Santa Maria Magdalena Church in the city of Camarillo because my fiance’s family is from there.”
So tAfter a period full of shocks, the couple got married on September 12 at 2 in the afternoon in the Santa María Magdalena Church.
His 80 guests arrived there.
Krystal is the oldest of six siblings and Jack has eleven siblings. Even so, the mass was transmitted via livestream for all those who cannot attend, especially their relatives who are older adults.
The young bride says they didn’t want to wait to get married until COVID-19 was no longer a threat to public health.
“I really love my boyfriend, and we decided that a pandemic was not going to stop us from getting married.”
Among the measures they took to prevent contagion during the wedding, were social distance in the arrangement of the chairs, availability of hand sanitizer and the distribution of masks for all attendees.
“The masks were made and embroidered by my nina (godmother) especially for the wedding as a souvenir for our guests.”
After so many mixed feelings, Krystal came to her wedding day very excited.
“This experience of the last months since the pandemic began, not knowing what we were going to do, continually changing plans, made us stronger as a couple and confirmed that we wanted to be together and get married”.
Jack, the groom, was no less happy about his wedding, but he admits that they lived moments of great frustration due to the closure of businesses and churches when the health crisis broke out, and seeing that every day it got worse. “This situation put our relationship to the test, and now what matters is that we were finally able to get married.”
Anitra Gil, her mother, a third generation Mexican-American, says that her daughter and son-in-law went through a very difficult road to their wedding.
“I am very happy for my daughter, because she was able to get married and unite her life for the Church with that of the man she loves. Something that is very important to us because faith is a fundamental part of our lives ”.
And he says that although during this time they did not know what was going to happen with the health contingency or with the wedding, they tried to remain optimistic in the hope that things would improve.
“We wanted a great wedding, but we are happy that they were married in a very beautiful church. Now we only wish that God who loves us preserve the world from this pandemic; and we as a family feel very blessed to see our daughter Krystal get married outside such a beautiful and historic church. “
No risk under protocols
Based on guidelines established to limit the spread of COVID-19 by the state of California and local officials, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles determined not to hold Masses and other liturgical activities within its parishes in Los Angeles, Ventura counties. and Santa Barbara.
However, they do allow it to be carried out outside parishes, and parishioners and visitors are required to wear masks and practice social distance.
Father Juan J. Ochoa of Iglesia Cristo Rey de Los Angeles, said about outdoor weddings that as long as the couple agrees to follow all health protocols there is no risk.
“Each couple has responded differently to the possibility of having their wedding outdoors. Some have decided to postpone until next year. Some for different reasons have decided to continue. As a priest, the most important thing is that couples receive the sacrament of marriage regardless of whether it is outdoors or inside the church. The declaration of consent and God’s blessing is the most important, everything else is secondary.
Wouldn’t it be better to wait for the pandemic to end for greater security?
Father Eight said that as long as they stay health rules such as the use of masks, social distancing, washing hands when entering the place where the wedding will take place, and the number of guests is reduced, it is safe and there is no great risk.
“The vast majority of people who come to church already know the expectations and follow them here at church. I see the problem at receptions and parties where people no longer follow or maintain health rules. If a couple wants to have a large number of guests, then it is best to wait until next year ”.
