COVID can’t stop Cupid: Georgina couples getting hitched despite COVID pandemic

Georgina issuing marriage licences with new digital process and social gathering limits in place

Yorkregion.com
Feb. 11, 2021
Amanda Persico

For many couples, the perfect wedding day is months -- and sometimes years -- in the making.

Not to mention spending thousands to ensure the ‘big day’ is perfect detail by tiny detail -- from photoshoots and three-tier cakes to the ever-growing guest list and the flawless wedding dress.

While the COVID-19 pandemic was the ultimate disrupter stopping couples from walking down the aisle, for many Georgina couples COVID didn't stop cupid and living through the pandemic was all the more reason to get hitched.

Michael and Kim Phillips kicked 2020 to the curb with their small, masked wedding on Dec. 26.

The Keswick couple soon decided -- after cancelling their October wedding -- COVID was not going to stop them.

“We survived (quarantine) in our new life together,” Michael said. “As you can tell, we’re still smiling.”

The couple said their vows in front of 10 close family and friends, spread out in a rather empty church.

Even during the ceremony -- one of the last weddings in Georgina for 2020 -- the couple remained six feet apart right up until their vows at the end.

“2020 was such a historical year. We didn’t want to wait,” said Kim. “The universe threw us together at the right time. Now, is the time.”

When the town declared a state of emergency in March 2020, Stephanie Jamie was planning her August wedding, but could not get a marriage licence.

Issuing marriage licenses came to a halt as the Civic Centre was and remains closed to the public. More than six months into the pandemic, the town revamped its marriage license process allowing for a more digital and COVID safe option.

Obtaining a marriage license in Ontario is one of the few services that still require in-person signatures.

A number of safety measures were put in place include submitting vital documents and payments digitally along with booking pre-arranged appointments to enter the Civic Centre.

“Georgina staff are continuing to find ways to incorporate remote processes into daily operations,” said town clerk Rachel Dillabough. “Staff adjusted the marriage licence process to continue to deliver this service while adhering to all provincial protocols in order to keep residents and staff safe.”

Getting a marriage license was the easy part, said Kim. Making the wedding COVID-19 safe was the challenge.

No longer was the day just about the bride and groom, but now about masks, physical distancing and keeping the guest list down to 10.

Over the summer, a string of weddings across York Region where surmounting guest lists resulted in fines and a slew of COVID-19 cases. And Kim and Stephanie both took note.

Since March 2020, the town has responded to a dozen complaints regarding gathering limits, but no charges have been laid by bylaws.

Instead of fine china, Kim served her limited guests single, pre-packaged cutlery while Stephanie is waiting for post-pandemic times to have a reception.

“We could have waited, but who knows for how long,” said Stephanie who got married under the blue moon at Halloween.

Stephanie Jamie and Erik Christensen got married under the blue moon in October, pushed back from their initial August wedding. In September, Georgina started issuing marriage licenses again under strict COVID-19 protocols.| Courtesy of Stephanie Jamie
While the process was easy and smooth, Stephanie only wished the town offered the service sooner.

“I was surprised as to why (the town) couldn’t offer that during the first wave,” she said of her postponed August wedding.

“I realize, everyone had to make a plan on how to operate during a pandemic.”

Under new COVID-19 safety protocols, which were implemented in early September 2020, the town has issued more than 50 marriage licenses, including one for 2021.

And more than 30 licenses were issued between January and March 2020, prior to town declaring a state of emergency and shutting its doors to the public.

That’s down considerably from more than 230 issued in 2019.

Planning to get hitched, visit georgina.ca.