Post Falls couple respect Gov. Little’s stay-at-home orders, marry on short notice
Post Falls couple respect Gov. Little’s stay-at-home orders, marry on short notice
The practical bride wore a white dress and train, purchased for $30 at the Real Life Ministries Thrift Shop — and, for photos afterward, a homemade surgical mask.
The groom donned a natty blue suit, with a blue-and-red tie, a white boutonniere, and his own homemade surgical mask.
The coronavirus had scrambled the wedding plans of Allen Ulrich, 34, and Alex Holland, 24, both of Post Falls. But they didn’t mind.
Originally, in January, when Allen proposed, the couple set April 18 as their wedding date. Neither had heard of COVID-19 at that point. When the virus began wreaking worldwide havoc, they moved the date up to Friday, March 27.
That was until Idaho Gov. Brad Little issued his shelter-in-place order Wednesday afternoon, March 25.
Allen found out about the command shortly afterward while texting with friends. He called Alex. Alex called Pastor Steve Massey of Hayden Bible Church. Then, Alex tossed clothes and other essentials into a suitcase, fixed her own hair and makeup, and put on her gown. Her father, Jon, rushed home from his executive job at Spokane Teachers Credit Union.
And then everyone headed to the church on East Miles Avenue.
“We wanted to respect the governor’s request,” Allen said. “And we didn’t want to put the church into an awkward situation.”
Allen and Alex met in January 2019 at Hayden Bible. Alex, a teller at the Post Falls branch of First Interstate, had been attending with her parents, Jon and Amy Holland. Allen, a fourth-generation Idahoan and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue employee, was looking for a new church.
Alex’s father, Jon, introduced himself to Allen and invited him to sit with his family. Allen sat between Jon and Alex.
“I was nervous sitting next to her,” Allen admitted.
A friendship blossomed. Allen and Alex began dating two months later.
Original plans for an April wedding called for a small gathering. By the time the date was re-set for March 27, social distancing had reduced that number to parents, grandparents, Alex’s maid of honor, and Allen’s best man, from Roseburg, Ore. The couple had planned to use the church’s technology to live-stream the wedding to family and friends.
In the end, the wedding was attended by 13: Alex’s parents, Jon and Amy; Alex’s sister, Naomi, the maid of honor; Alex’s grandparents, Norm and Bonita Anderson; Allen’s parents, Russ and Laura Ulrich; and the church’s four pastors. There was no best man.
Alex arrived at church thinking the ceremony would be a simple exchange of vows. But Pastor Massey surprised her with a short talk and benediction. A church member provided two bouquets of white roses. Pastors Sean Hoisington and Darryl Heisey taped the ceremony. And Alex’s mother played the old hymn “Be Thou My Vision” on her flute.
“The pastors made it special for us,” Alex said.
Even in the middle of the pandemic, Allen and Alex see God’s hand in the rushed wedding.
They had wavered between a wedding date of April or August.
“If we hadn’t been planning for an April wedding, we wouldn’t have been ready in March,” Alex said.
The two had already settled on their outfits, ordered their cake from Costco, and picked up fake flowers from Hobby Lobby. Their early decision to keep the wedding small fit into the changed plans.
“I can see God’s hand in this from beginning to end,” Alex said. “He had put on my heart not to have a big wedding with huge venue and caterer.”
As for the honeymoon, the new Mr. and Mrs. Ulrich had planned to stay at the Davenport Hotel and then travel to Seaside, Ore. Instead they stayed home.
They are more fortunate than many young couples today. Both still have jobs. Allen works four 10-hour days a week for Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. Alex is among her bank’s staffers who are being paid to stay home. They will serve as replacements if workers at the bank get sick.
“It’s a blessing, too,” she said. “It gives me a chance to get the place settled.”
What’s it like to get married during a pandemic?
“You have to be really flexible, that’s for sure,” Alex said. “Also, you need to keep on trusting the Lord.”