The impact of the government shutdown is hitting popular wedding venues, such as some national parks, and keeping D.C. couples from getting their marriage licenses.
“We probably have a hundred guests coming from out of town….” said D.C. groom-to-be Isaac Carp said. “Having to tell them it’s all canceled within less than 30 days. It feels just like such a preposterous event.”
Carp and his fiancée, Stephanie Bartner, are supposed to tie the knot on Nov. 1. But on Thursday, they were told D.C.’s Superior Court could not issue them a marriage license because of the shutdown.
“We rolled over into the courthouse, and we saw couples getting turned away at 8:30 in the morning,” Carp said.
Bartner said: “Having their decisions decide if and when and how we get married seems crazy.”
A friend was supposed to officiate. But now the city also isn’t processing his application needed to perform the duties.
And they are not alone.
In Indiana, Heather Mullins spent all day Thursday trying to get answers from Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee — where she and her fiancé are supposed to get married Oct. 20.
Mullins said she hasn’t been able to reach anyone at the park to get any sort of answer to what comes next.
“It definitely feels a little bit hopeless with the lack of information,” she said.
Mullins found out her big day might be upended when a coworker called her and warned her that she might be affected.
“My heart sunk,” she said.
“This wedding has been kind of all that has consumed, consumed my mind for the past, like 10, 11 months …. It definitely feels a little bit hopeless with the lack of information,” she said.
Now, she’s stuck waiting as the clock ticks.
Mullins is trying to figure out a Plan B, like trying to get married in a backyard or finding a different of a different venue.
“We’re really trying to hope for a miracle there, because everybody’s taking, you know, time off of work, made travel plans,” she said.
So far, it’s not clear if and when that miracle is coming.
In the meantime, longtime wedding planner Andrew Roby, who has dealt with shutdowns in the past, shared this advice for couples who might be affected: “The best course of action is to be proactive. And if that means finding a completely different venue and talking to your current venue and asking for a refund due to the current climate, do it.”
A source said Monday morning that the D.C. Council is considering working on legislation that would allow D.C. couples to get licenses and get married. That source said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser would be willing to sign the law if and when that happens. The Council passed similar legislation in 2019 during the last shutdown.
Want more insights? Join Working Title - our career elevating newsletter and get the future of work delivered weekly.
