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This Couple's Instagram Live Wedding Proves Love Conquers All

Mackenzie Johnsen and Ross Bassett refused to let the Coronavirus cancel their wedding. So, they hosted their vows over Instagram and Facebook so all their family and friends could celebrate.

By Jessie Price Apr 12, 2020 7:00 PMTags

Love always finds its way.

This weekend, Makenzie Johnsen and Ross Bassett celebrated their wedding in Huntsville, Utah with their full guest list, despite social distancing. While only a few of their immediate family members were able to physically attend, the couple's loved ones still watched on as they said "I do" thanks to an Instagram and Facebook live that captured the moment. 

"This was 'Plan J,'" Johnsen exclusively told E! News. "No one dreams of a world pandemic when they imagine their wedding." Alas, they learned to get creative. After more than a month of planning and replanning, the duo decided to use the power of technology to stream the ceremony across the nation. As the bride explained, "I think that things are just supposed to happen for a reason and we can either cry about it or laugh with our situation."

Though their dream vows didn't include caterers canceling and venue changes, Johnsen and Bassett kept a positive outlook and focused on what truly mattered: their love story.

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"Ten years down the road I'm not going to be stressing over the floral arrangements or the amount of people that attended our reception because it's not about that," she said. "It's about the life you created and how you've moved from that moment. It really comes down to that...It's all about Ross and I making promises to each other."

The couple, who has been together since 2018, didn't know how long the Coronavirus would impact the prospect of their wedding, so they chose to keep their original April 11 date.

Hayden and Megan Photography / @haydenxmegan

And at 4 p.m. local time, nearly 100 friends and family tuned in to watch the bride walk through her backyard to join her fiancé standing under a beautifully decorated, DIY arbor. There, the 23-year-old—clad in a white, long sleeve sheath dress with a traditional train—handed her bouquet off to her impromptu maid-of-honor, her father. (Her groom opted for a light gray suit and a pastel yellow tie.)

"Grandmas and grandpas, moms and dads, brothers and sisters, and friends here with us on social media," the officiant said during the ceremony, in which friends and family applauded with virtual hearts. "Love never fails."

Indeed, that sentiment resonated with more than just the newlyweds. "I think that the fact that they did this without the hoopla and without postponing the wedding," their pal Annalise Hodges tells E!, "shows that they are all they need for each other."

Congratulations to the happy couple!

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