Couple gets married at US-Canada border to allow bride's Canadian family to attend wedding

Overcoming the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, a Canadian bride ensured that her family is present at her wedding even though it took place at the border. Karen Mahoney and her new husband, Brian Ray told CNN that they met 35 years ago over their love for skiing and got engaged in March. Both ski instructors, Mahoney and Ray did not want to wait to get married but the only thing that mattered for the bride was to have her family by her side including her parents, and 96-year-old grandmother. 

Mahoney was quoted by the media outlet saying that having her grandmother at her wedding “was very important” but since the US has been restricting non-essential travel at land crossings with Canada amid the pandemic. While air travel between the United States and Canada is permitted and Mahoney’s entire family is vaccinated against COVID-19, she reportedly felt that it would put them at greater risk considering her grandmother’s age. 

But, notably, the couple had a friend who works for border patrol who arranged for Mahoney to meet her family at the closed border previously. The couple’s friend even arranged for Ray to ask Mahoney’s father, Paul for her hand in marriage. So, for the marriage too, they resorted to their friend to make it work. The friend, as per the report, explained all the rules to the couple including for them to ensure that they stayed on their given sides and not exchange anything. 

Ray and Mahoney were asked to inform patrol 

Ray and Mahoney were asked to inform the patrol on duty as to what was happening at the border if they saw the ceremony on the cameras in the area. Reportedly, they met at the border outside Burke, New York, the day before their planned wedding was set to take place on September 25. The crossing resembles a meadow with a marker showing the country names with no gates or fences in between. While Mahoney’s parents stood on the Canadian side of the border, the couple, their wedding party and their officiant stood on the US side. 

Mahoney’s father told CNN affiliate WPTZ, “We would not have missed it. Not for the world.” Her family members were able to witness the entire wedding but the signing of the marriage certificate took place the next day at Mahoney’s home in Cadyville, New York. Ray and Mahoney reportedly said that the entire experience was emotional. 

"The minister asked them if they (my parents) acknowledge that Brian was vowing to love me the rest of our lives, and did they accept him into the Mahoney clan, and they responded, 'We do' and that was extremely emotional," Mahoney said. Meanwhile, Ray said, “I cried...It was good for me, because I knew how much it meant to her to have her parents and her grandmother here and see us exchanging vows."

IMAGE: @MohammadMohaaa-Twitter/Karen Mahoney