Couple's Social Distancing Wedding Sees Guests Watch From Boats

A couple whose wedding was set to be disrupted by social distancing rules held their wedding on a lake – with guests watching proceedings from boats bobbing nearby. With each boat containing a separate family, and radio links allowing them to tune in to the ceremony taking place a short, but safe, distance on a jetty it was one of the more innovative COVID weddings. Bailey Fuqua and Brannen McMahan had planned the perfect wedding in Birmingham, Alabama. But when COVID-19 struck and the state implemented restrictions on group gathering it meant they were looking at having to cancel their celebration at the original venue. But, after weeks of deliberation, and discussions with their pastors, the couple decided to go ahead with the wedding on April 4 as planned – but with a few tweaks. Instead of the extravagant ceremony and party, they would shift their wedding outside to Brannen’s family home on nearby Lake Martin – and have their guests join them safely by watching from boats surrounding the peninsula jutting out into the water. Video recorded by guests shows the couple and their immediate family exchanging vows, as dozens of small cruisers moored several meters off shore. The couple managed to set up a live stream of the wedding for guests to watch on their phone if needed, with audio being relayed to each boats radio. The unique wedding passed without a hitch, much to the delight of the couple.