How Allison & Jacob Kept Their Wedding Date Despite COVID-19

When high school sweethearts Allison and Jacob attended prom together, they never thought their young love would turn into marriage.

Jacob proposed at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. right across from the reflection pool where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous I Have a Dream speech. Allison shares, “He had my parents surprise me at the monument, and we all went out for dinner to celebrate. He then coordinated with my twin sister to fly in the same night from California to surprise me as well. It was truly the best surprise of my life.”

When their larger wedding had to be canceled due to COVID-19, they decided to keep their original date and have an intimate wedding instead. See all of the details below.

Full names of couple: Allison Latimore and Jacob Barker
Occupations: Resident Physician and MBA student
Wedding date: April 25, 2020
Wedding location: Courthouse- Arlington, VA

Quick Facts

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen Gifts: The bridesmaids received silk pajamas with their initials embroidered. The best man received a valet tray with his initials engraved.
Gifts for one another: Jake is a sneakerhead, so I got him drop front boxes to store his sneaker collection. Jake got me a pair of the newest air pods, which is something I’ve been wanting for a while.
Ceremony entrance song: “I do” by Aloe Blacc
First dance song: “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton

How did COVID-19 affect your wedding?

Our wedding was scheduled for April 25, 2020, which had to be canceled due to the pandemic. I was impacted as a resident physician and as a bride. We initially thought we would not be able to get married at all, since marriage license appointments were canceled. This was heartbreaking because we have been dating for 11 years. We are “high school sweethearts,” and Jake has supported me through undergrad, grad school, medical school, and now, residency. We were fortunate to get a virtual appointment for a marriage license. We had two days from when we received the paperwork in the mail to get everything handled to keep our wedding date. We found a celebrant and kept our same photographer, who was gracious enough to come take our pictures while practicing physical distancing. My mother ordered a cake from the only bakery that would deliver a mask from her favorite seamstress (and sent it via next-day air), and ordered dinner for us from our caterer. The wedding ceremony took place in a law office near the Arlington, VA Courthouse. Pictures were taken in scenic areas around the courthouse. Our bridal party, family, and friends, helped to create a beautiful montage of videos expressing their love for us, which made this time so special.

Best Wedding Memories

The best memory from our wedding was being able to look into each other’s eyes and officially say, “I do.” I was so afraid that we weren’t going to have the opportunity to do so. That made the moment even more special.

Advice for Engaged Couples

Our advice would be to do what you can to celebrate the day. Celebrate your love no matter what is going on. Tomorrow is not promised, so make the most of the time you have together. Don’t worry about things not being perfect. The true goal is to marry the one you love.