Wedding on the McDonough Square during pandemic shows ‘love wins’
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McDonough, GA (Henry Herald) — It wasn’t the wedding they planned, but in many ways it was more memorable.
On May 4, Star Wars Day, Brad Lyons and Marielena Vasquez said “I do” on the McDonough Square. The newlyweds danced to music that flowed through the square’s speakers and their names were emblazoned on the city’s electronic billboard.
They originally planned to be married on May 16 with family and friends in attendance and their pastor TJ McBride, from Tabernacle of Praise Church International, officiating. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the couple to delay their nuptials.
They chose to push their wedding day to October. But, Vasquez, a big Star Wars fan, believed strongly in the Force.
“She wanted us to dress up as Chewbacca and Princess Leia,” Lyons said. Instead they settled on Star Wars T-shirts and marry on Star Wars Day.
The T-shirts didn’t come in time, but Lyons said the day was both memorable and special anyway.
“We’re married, and life is great,” he said.
Lyons said their three-year romance had prepared them for such challenges. They met in January 2017. In November 2018, Vasquez moved to Germany. She’s a pediatrician with the Department of Defense at Fort Benning, and had requested a transfer to work in Europe not long after the pair began dating. Lyons said it was always Vasquez’s dream to live in and travel Europe. He said he thought for sure the relationship was over. Instead, they decided to give it a go, despite the distance.
FaceTime, phone calls and a 10-day trip every four months kept them going.
“It made our relationship much stronger,” Lyons said. “When you’re 5,000 miles apart and can still thrive, you can get through anything. We really are best friends.”
Vasquez wasn’t due to return to the States until April 2020, but a broken ankle forced her to come home early. Lyons said it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Vasquez arrived in Georgia just before the coronavirus began to take hold globally. Her early return also allowed them to find the home of their dreams.
“It was a lot of little stuff, but it shows how God was taking care of us,” Lyons said.
Their last hurdle before their Star Wars Day wedding was a marriage license. Many offices were closed due to the pandemic. Lyons said they’d tried several counties and finally asked Minister Chris Scott from Tabernacle Praise to help.
Scott, who officiated their historic square wedding, was able to get them an appointment early on May 4, right before they got married at 11:30 a.m.
“I was honored and excited to be part of their day,” Scott said.
She said people were driving around the square honking their horns and smiling
“In the midst of everything going on in the world today, it gives people hope and shows that love wins,” Scott said.
Lyons said he’s always loved Henry County because it’s very much a “people community.”
“Everyone in Henry County really made it a special day for us,” he said.
Vasquez and Lyons still hope to have their big wedding later this year, followed by a honeymoon to Disney World where they’ll spend time in a galaxy far, far away.
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