Couple ties the knot with socially distanced wedding

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. - The Stone Mountain Manor is a long way away from the Graceland venue Michelle Scott and Edward Mandell had in mind for their wedding. The college sweethearts had planned to get married in late April with more of an Elvis themed-backdrop, but the coronavirus pandemic changed everything.

 In just a matter of weeks, the couple scaled down their guest list to just under 25 to accommodate the only place they could find to host their wedding. They turned masks and hand sanitizers and other COVID-19 essentials into gifts for guests and said “I do” the first weekend in June…with a few adjustments. 

Event coordinator Ashley Stanley said brides and grooms who really want to marry in the pandemic must scale down some of the plans they had for their big day, but that doesn’t mean they have to sacrifice the joy of that day. 

Michelle, who is a FOX 5 photojournalist, had a vision for this day but said what eventually came together was so much better.

Even with the bedazzled masks and socially distant seating, nothing stood in the way of formally tying the knot and the bonds of true love.