Rebecca Atkinson and Whit Strickland first met in September 2018 on a blind date set up by her aunt and his mom! Rebecca was a substitute teacher at the elementary school where Whit’s mom, Emily, worked as a librarian, and Rebecca’s aunt, Paula, often volunteered. Emily and Paula, who were good friends, decided to play matchmaker and set them up on a date when Whit moved home to Birmingham, AL. Turns out Whit was open to the idea and he called Rebecca to make plans for their first date!

Whit and Rebecca Strickland were married May 2nd, 2020 in Birmingham, AL. Because of COVID-19 they had to forgo their big wedding plans, and instead, had an intimate ceremony with their closest family. Rebecca said, “The only guests in attendance at our wedding were our parents, one of my maids of honor, and my aunt.” Despite the change of plans, Rebecca said their wedding day could not have been more wonderful. “As much as I would have loved to have all of our original guests there, it ended up being absolutely perfect. There was no stress, nothing felt rushed, and everything just went so smoothly. It truly just felt like the whole day was all about us and we were able to focus on what really mattered.”

One of Rebecca’s most cherished memories of the day came at the end of the ceremony. All of their original guests had been given a Zoom link so they could watch the wedding live and still be a part of the Stricklands’ special day. “After the ceremony was finished, our photographer (Jessa Torres) asked us to go to the front of the church so that we could take some pictures there. When we got out there we started to take pictures, and then we saw a line of cars coming towards the church. One of my bridesmaids had set up a surprise car parade for our guests to show their support and make us feel loved.” Since their bridesmaids and groomsmen weren’t able to attend the wedding in person, some of them decided to meet together in a nearby parking lot to watch the wedding together on their phones, then they joined the parade! The COVID-19 pandemic may have altered their wedding plans, but it was still a perfect day for the Stricklands.

Rebecca reflected, “I think sometimes people get caught up in all of the planning that goes into a wedding, and when the big day finally comes they aren’t able to fully enjoy it all because there is so much going on. I’m so thankful for the way that everything ended up playing out that day. As difficult as 2020 was at times, it also will always hold some of the sweetest and most beautiful memories for us.”

Congratulations, Whit and Rebecca Strickland! We wish you all the best in your marriage.

Photos by Jessa Torres

Florals by Michelle Wright