Dear Couples…

Dear Couples…

Top Photo Credit: Sam Stroud Photography

A letter from our family to you during this
season of uncertainty.

To those who were planning their wedding for this season, as a Shadow Creek couple, or anywhere around the world, we want to take a minute to say that what you are navigating is really hard, and we see you, and we celebrate you! We want to make sure that we say this because having to change all of your wedding plans without notice is overwhelming, and it shouldn’t be diminished. The wonderful Hayley Paige summed it up perfectly last month when she said, “Thank you for doing what was right, especially when it wasn’t easy.” For many of you, this is a really heavy season for lots of reasons. Weddings planned for over a year have been postponed or canceled; medical professionals who planned to be on honeymoons are at the front lines, sacrificing the plans they had to selflessly take care of others; family gatherings and big travel plans have been canceled; health and employment fears are dictating daily thoughts. Never before have we had a situation occur that is so widespread, scary, unrelenting, and immediate while leaving us with no time to plan and without any say. We want to applaud you in this season, and let you know that we are cheering for you because we know that navigating this personally and as a couple can feel impossible, but we also know that ultimately it will empower you, and reinforce the foundation of your relationship for the future.

Aside from the fear and the uncertainty of these times, we want to tell you that the sun will come out again. Better days will come, joy will return, and if you have had to postpone your wedding, we encourage you to take this time to soak in a longer engagement, enjoy a quiet dinner, or open a bottle of good wine, because the excitement of being engaged is once in a lifetime too. Find ways to encourage each other, work together, and carry each other through this season while looking forward to everything exciting that the future still holds. Your wedding day will come, and it will be one of the most amazing days of your life, even if your plans had to change.

We could share countless stories of seasons that have been hard, nothing exactly like this, but hard nonetheless, and the sun always returns. We send you all our best wishes and encouragement during this difficult season, along with this verse of comfort on this Easter Sunday.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Love,
The Carlyle Family