How one couple leaned on their love and their faith in 2020

Cedric and Jabrea Rambert met on social media through a mutual friend. Cedric messaged Jabrea first … “I just was upfront and honest — I said you have the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen.” And they’ve talked every day since.

When Cedric proposed to Jabrea in November 2019, a few years after dating, plans were set in motion for a magical wedding. The couple invited more than 200 guests from across the country to gather at an Indianapolis venue to witness their love and the beginning of their life together. But their wedding plans came to an abrupt halt, with the world in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Praying about it, hoping that things would go back to normal or some sense of normalcy, but as the date approached we realized that’s not going to happen,” Jabrea said.

Would the pandemic last for several more months, even years? They knew the outlook was uncertain, but one thing was clear.

“Our ultimate goal was we want to be married to each other. We wanted to move forward with our lives and we didn’t want to keep pushing that out,” Jabrea said.

They began considering other wedding options — something much smaller and, most importantly, safe. In just five weeks, they planned for a wedding at home, outside in their backyard, with a few friends and family. They asked each guest to be tested for Covid-19 and quarantine before the ceremony. They also followed safety guidelines, and live streamed the wedding so other guests could watch virtually. It was a success. In the midst of the pandemic, Cedric and Jabrea were married on the Fourth of July 2020 — complete with sparklers.

“It was a lot. But we got it down and it turned out amazing,” Jabrea said.

Pivoting wedding plans in the pandemic was not their greatest challenge. Before the wedding, they were faced with hardships and grief early on, including mourning losses due to Covid-19. They also felt the impact in other ways; Jabrea was furloughed for a while from her job. Times were tough. Cedric and Jabrea, both members of Eastern Star Church in Indianapolis, said they relied on prayer, fasting and their faith.

“We felt so much support, so much love. We really, at this time, saw how valuable being members of Eastern Star Church (ESC) was for us,” Jabrea said.

The couple participated in “Saying I Do,” virtual pre-martial counseling at ESC, which was a vital step in understanding the life lessons needed to help them navigate their future and make the best of their present circumstances in this global crisis.

“We really had to lean into each other. If you want to look at the silver lining of it, we relied on each other quite a bit early on into our marriage,” Cedric said.

They said the intimate, scaled-down ceremony turned out even better than their original grand wedding plans.

“Sometimes I think we can get so tied to a vision,” Jabrea said. “God has control. We may have thought we made our plans and our plan was laid out. Even though things may not go the way that we planned it, God has a plan and he has a way.”

Through it all, they tried to stay focused on the positive, with hope and happiness about what the future holds for them.

“2020 was a rough year, it really was one of the hardest years ever. It was also the best year of my life because I got to marry my best friend,” Cedric said.

Jabrea’s smile that first caught his attention was just the beginning of their happily ever after.

“Seeing my wife in her dress, that was one of the most emotional moments that I’ve ever had,” Cedric said. “The happiest I’ve ever been.”

Saying "I Do" in the midst of a pandemic