An update…

Our dearest loved ones,

Man, we’d give anything to hug you. We could sure use some good, tight, long squeezes right about now. 

We’re writing with an update about our wedding, and hoping that you kept that eraser nearby in case you’d receive this email. With much uncertainty in the state of Washington (and the world!), our governor has put a ban on large gatherings and wedding receptions for the remainder of 2020. 

While our hearts are heavy, we recognize the significance of this decision, and we wholeheartedly agree that  our greatest current priority in this celebration of love is that things be safe - and we don’t feel safe moving forward with what we had originally planned (nor do we feel safe with the second or third or fourth or fifth versions of what we had planned). 

So, we are going to elope! 

Hug whoever is in your bubble, and someday (next year? in two years?), when we are safely able to be together, we’ll gather together and  c e l e b r a t e  the way we always dreamed. We’ll be in touch, and for now we will be finding joy where we can and continuing to build our life together.

In love,
Michelle & Patrick

Our previous letter, for these strange times…

Hello, dear ones - 

Well, we never thought we'd be planning our wedding during a time like this, but here we are. Some days bring a weight we never knew we had the strength to bear. Navigating a global pandemic while confronting our nation’s inequality has had us at a loss for how to move forward. We are trying to focus our energies, while also recognizing that some days are really hard and fraught with tension and anxiety about the future and about our neighbors’ health and safety.

Other days help us pause / slow down / take stock of little moments: the way the breeze moves the curtains as it comes through the window; our dog cuddled tightly between us, and the way he closes his eyes when you pet him just so; how our fingers fit together when they’re interlaced; the day’s light coming sooner, staying longer, feeling warmer. 

We hope that today is feeling okay to you. We hope that you're finding moments of connection. That you’re safe. That you’re stopping every so often to recognize that these days are, yes, heavy; and they are also, yes, sometimes beautiful. 

We’ll be honest, it feels odd to send an announcement like this during times like these.  Some days we dream that this celebration will happen exactly as we've imagined, and you'll be there with us. All of you! Hugs will be safe again and we’ll dance the night away! And then there are other days when we see the realities of size restrictions and long-term closures that leave us with immense uncertainty. 

If we are able to move forward with the wedding of our dreams, you will all be there. But we can’t predict the future, and we want all of you to remain safe and healthy, so we need to stay flexible. We may end up needing to have a small celebration with our immediate families, or a socially distanced wedding with limited travel. In short, we just don’t know. We wanted to send you all our hopes (no matter how slim) that we can all be together, but ask you to bear with us and be understanding if that is not the case. Right now, all we can do is stay hopeful. 

So, loved ones, please save the weekend: October 16 - 18, 2020 (with a ceremony on October 17) on Whidbey Island, WA. We’ll keep you posted as we hear more about how we’re able to celebrate, and we’ll send more details as the weeks press on, but for now we’d love for you to mark the dates on your calendar. Until we know more, though, maybe use a pencil? And please, feel free to share your thoughts if you know this is something you can’t do or don’t feel comfortable traveling for. We would love to hear from you in any case.

In love,
Patrick & Michelle