With the coronavirus pandemic still ongoing, most couples are significantly scaling down their wedding ceremonies. This means that many are not making use of traditional vendors such as photographers.
One New York couple decided they would marry on the Brooklyn Bridge, with nothing but an officiant and a stunning view. However, they were in luck as a woman passing by decided it would be a terrible shame for them to go without a single wedding photo to remember the day by.
Nevona Friedman took a stroll on the Brooklyn Bridge on Sunday, 26 July. Along the way, she stumbled upon a couple getting married all by their lonesome, apart from the officiant. She decided she would help out by snapping some shots of the special moment.
“I realized there was no one else there — no family watching or photographer. I really can’t imagine getting married with no photos,” she told the New York Post.
Excited to share what she’d done, and hopefully find the couple to gift them with the photos, she took to Twitter.
“If you were getting married on the Brooklyn Bridge this evening, I’ve got some photos for you!” she wrote.
if you were getting married on the brooklyn bridge this evening, i’ve got some photos for you! pic.twitter.com/c61eDmAIaM
— nevona (@nevona) July 27, 2020
According to the New York Post, Friedman went on a search for the couple, tagging as many journalists as she could and posting the photo to various social media groups. She eventually found a mutual friend who put her in touch with the bride, Nikolina Kovalenko, a 32-year-old artist from Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
After getting engaged last month, Kovalenko and her now-husband, Stefan Ponova (30), decided they would have a wedding without all the fuss.
“We knew we wouldn’t be able to have a wedding where all our friends and family could attend,” she told The Post. Their lack of photographer was in an effort to keep to social distancing regulations and not put anyone at risk.
Another Twitter user seems to have captured the ceremony too and posted his photograph in the comments of Friedman’s post.
I was the second wedding witness 😀🤫 pic.twitter.com/Fz6ASbF0Eg
— John Prieto (@Johnick3000) July 30, 2020
Other Twitter users responded overwhelmingly positively, with one saying that this is all you need for a wedding.
Stunning dress, stunning scenery… all you need for a perfect wedding day if you ask me! The love of your life & a stunning sunset 🌅 ❤️🥰🙌🏼🥳🥂🍾🎉🎼😍
— Ruth Holcombe (@RuthHolcombe) July 28, 2020
This is really all you need when you get married. You & your intended, starring so deeply into each other’s eyes that you don’t care about the view behind you.
The rest of the wedding show isn’t necessary if you have that.
— East2West 🇺🇸 (@CarolynEast2) July 27, 2020
Stunning photo at that! They are so lucky you were there! Perfect bit of kismet, especially needed to refresh our souls in these times! So glad you found them, Twitter!
— laurawinge (@laurawinge) July 28, 2020
Image: Twitter / Nevona