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'A break from all the chaos': Couple weds in Orillia park (6 photos)

COVID-19 pandemic and other obstacles couldn't stop couple from tying the knot

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the plans of many, but Johanna Lopez and Christian Noe weren’t about to let it get in the way of their nuptials.

During a cold, windy afternoon Tuesday at Veterans’ Memorial Park in Orillia, the two tied the knot in front of Lopez’s daughter and two sons.

“We all needed a little happiness and love to spread,” said Lopez.

“It’s definitely good for us to have a break from all the chaos,” added Noe.

That chaos isn’t a result of the pandemic only. Lopez, who lives in Toronto, and Noe, a Texas native currently stationed in Florida with the United States military, had a number of hurdles to clear to get to their big day.

Noe is on a four-day leave and will be returning to Florida on Thursday. They had originally planned to wed at Algonquin Park. There were a few bumps in the road, however, so they were looking at Arrowhead Park near Huntsville. Ultimately, they ended up at Veterans’ Memorial Park, overlooking Lake Couchiching.

Carmen Novosky, a local resident, was the officiant for the wedding. She was on vacation in Florida when a fellow officiant called and asked if she would preside over the wedding of Lopez and Noe.

The newlyweds thanked Novosky and fellow officiant Barb Shakell, who served as their photographer. They also thanked city staff for ensuring they had a marriage licence and could wed before Noe heads back to Florida.

“Everybody came together to pull it off,” Lopez said.

“With the time that I had off and the circumstances, it’s a miracle it came together like it did,” added Noe.

Lopez described it as a bit of light in the darkness. She was recently laid off from her job in the health and wellness field because her employer, like many others in the province and beyond, are temporarily shutting down during the pandemic.

“It’s been distracting, but it’s nice to make it happen,” she said of the St. Patrick’s Day wedding. “We’ve got the luck of the Irish, and we’re not even Irish.”


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Nathan Taylor

About the Author: Nathan Taylor

Nathan Taylor is the desk editor for Village Media's central Ontario news desk in Simcoe County and Newmarket.
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