With their plans for a larger wedding celebration postponed due to COVID-19, Ruani & Cortney decided they didn’t want to wait to tie the knot. So, they held a beautiful, intimate Jersey City elopement at home on the date of their 9-year dating anniversary. They were surrounded by their nearest and dearest…as well as some friendly passersby.
Pedestrians stopped in their paths and neighbors peeked out their windows to watch Ruani & Cortney commit their lives to each other. Their first kiss as husband and wife was met with eruptions of cheers and car horns from the neighborhood!
Keep reading to learn more about this incredible couple and why they decided to wed with a Jersey City elopement.
The ceremony
- MSM: Why did you both decide to get married today on your stoop?!
- R&C: We originally planned to have a big wedding with our family and friends in Chicago, but we had to postpone due to COVID-19. After getting over the initial disappointment, we realized that we didn’t want to wait any longer to be married with all of the uncertainty we are currently facing. Our stoop felt like an obvious choice because it made logistics easy to coordinate, and it enabled us to be outdoors to mitigate health concerns. It also felt poignant to be able to get married on the doorstep of our home, where we’ve shared so many important moments.
Why today?
- MSM: Today is your 9-year anniversary! Tell me more about why this date is extra special to you both?
- C: June 18th is the anniversary of the day we started dating. We actually met six months before that during undergrad after a mutual friend encouraged me to send Ruani a friend request on Facebook.
- R: From there, we began running into each other all the time! During one run in, I gave Cortney my number and asked him if he wanted to grab lunch together since we were both staying on campus for Spring Break. We ended up having a two hour conversation over lunch and talked almost every day after that.
Your nearest & dearest
- MSM: Tell me about your wedding party! Your officiant, man of honor, and best man — why were these folks your “non-negotiables” for your ceremony?
- C: We have such a supportive community and we are lucky that Dr. Howard, our officiant, Ed, the best man, and Rafael, the man of honor, were able to help us pull off our ceremony. Dr. Howard, or Chaz, as we call him, is the University Chaplain at our alma mater. He has been a friend, guide, and constant support for us as individuals and in our partnership. As soon as we got engaged, we knew we wanted him to officiate our wedding. Ed,my best man, and I met during freshman orientation and, eventually, became roommates. We’re brothers at this point.
- R: I met my man of honor, Rafael, in sophomore year of high school. We’ve known each other for 15 years and he’s been there for me through thick and thin. He’s my biggest supporter. I couldn’t imagine this day without him.
It was such an honor to capture this love story. Wishing these two all the best!
You can read more about this incredible couple, their relationship, and their curbside ceremony on Hoboken Girl!
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