May 9 turned out to be a great day—even if it wasn’t what Jessica Bailey and Austin Aimone had spent more than a year planning. Picnic in hand, Austin surprised Jess with a visit to Hunting Hill Mansion at Ridley Creek State Park, where they playfully exchanged rings.
It was to be the backdrop for their wedding until the pandemic intervened. With just two months until their wedding day and invitations already sent, the couple postponed. “I was more concerned about our grandparents and family members that might be immunocompromised,” says Jess, a teacher in the Downingtown Area School District.
Two months later, the couple tied the knot in a micro wedding at Terrain in Glen Mills. “We’d been looking forward to this moment for so long, and we wanted to make it happen,” says Jess, who met Austin at West Chester University. “We didn’t want to wait anymore.”
The original 135-person guest list was tightened to 24 family members and longtime friends. Vows were presided over by a mutual friend and streamed via Facebook Live for those who couldn’t make it. “Jess’s vows were amazing—they took my breath away,” says Austin.
There were toasts from siblings and the father of the bride, plus a cover of Ben Rector’s “Forever Like That” performed by Jess’s sister and her boyfriend. Hearing the song just two months into their relationship, Jess predicted it would play at their wedding one day.
The small celebration had its own charms. “It was so much more special and much more intimate,” says Jess.
Details
Wedding date: July 11, 2020
Ceremony and reception: Terrain
Number of guests: 24
Bridal gown: Morilee, Castle Couture
Groom’s suit: Men’s Wearhouse
Makeup: DevEsthetics
Florists: Terrain and Blue Moon Florist
Cake: Cake N Bake
First dance: Ben Rector’s “Forever Like That”
Videographer: Lightning in a Bottle
Photographer: Christie Green Photography
Honeymoon: Cape Cod, Mass. (in lieu of their original trip to St. Lucia)
Careers: Jessica is a teacher in the Downingtown Area School District. Austin works in sales for Thomson Reuters.
