Carrie and Paulo are two New York nurses who had their wedding set for October, that is until the Coronavirus pandemic struck. The couple, who met as students at Rutgers University, traded in their wedding dress and tuxedo for scrubs and helped one of the hardest-hit cities face a pandemic.

While nothing could rectify what the couple went through these past many months, they came across a giveaway from wine brand Rosé All Day on Instagram and decided it was worth a shot. The brand had just launched a contest for couples whose wedding plans were affected by coronavirus to share their 2020 wedding story in exchange for winning their dream honeymoon. After reviewing hundreds of submissions and hearing Carrie & Paulo’s touching story, it was clear to Rose All Day that no one was more deserving than these two.

We asked the couple some of our burning questions, and their responses are beautifully authentic and likely relatable if you are one of the millions of couples who had to postpone their weddings because of the pandemic.

Q: Postponing your wedding must have been a huge disappointment, yet you both stepped in ready to help in the pandemic. What was the hardest thing about working under those pretenses?

A: Not being able to see our family members, especially those who were hospitalized during the height of the pandemic was the most difficult. Carrie’s Grandfather had a stroke in early March, and began his recovery when he then contracted COVID-19 and suddenly passed away. Not being able to be by his side in the hospital when he passed is something that continues to weigh very heavily on us. Luckily, we were, and still are able to offer our presence for other peoples’ family members in our own hospitals. We can tell families that we truly understand. This year has been hard for us, as it has been for so many others. We are taking this year to properly grieve and to focus on family and our jobs.

Q: Where were you planning to have your wedding?

A: We both grew up in New Jersey and are planning to marry locally to where our families are from. Paulo is from Piscataway, and Carrie is from East Brunswick. We planned to get married in Somerset, New Jersey on October 18, 2020. We have postponed the wedding to June 27, 2021 at the same venue.

Q: How did your family react to the postponement and knowing you’d both be putting your health and safety on the line?

A: After the hospitalization of some family members, including numerous losses, wedding planning did not feel right to do this year. With the pandemic still flourishing in NYC, we decided to push off wedding planning to at least next year. Some people recommended we marry in civil court or elope. But after thinking things over, we decided to take this year to properly grieve and to focus on family and our jobs. Our families stand by our decision and express their worries about our safety every day. We talk on the phone and video chat with them every day to check-in and to also pray for each other. 

Q: What do you hope your honeymoon will entail?

A: Our original honeymoon plan was to travel to an all-inclusive resort in Cabo. We both love traveling but given the travel restrictions and uncertainty surrounding the resurgence of COVID-19, our options have become limited. We are so blessed that Rosé All Day has given us the opportunity to honeymoon in an RV to the Florida Keys after our wedding. We hope to catch a few sunsets, soak up the sun, de-stress, and continue to make great memories together. It will be an emotional time to reflect and celebrate our journey to becoming Mr. & Mrs. Luardo. 

Q: If you could tell all the couples who, like you, had to postpone their weddings one piece of advice or encouragement, what would it be?

A: When it rains, it pours. But the sun will always shine again! Things don’t always go as planned, but everything happens in perfect timing. Cherish every moment and remember that the most important thing is having each other at the end of the day.

Now winners, Carrie & Paulo, will have their wedding next June, and the adventure-seeking couple plans on accepting the RV prize for a socially distant road trip. They’ve just begun planning and are looking into a trip to the Florida Keys! 

Photos courtesy of (in order of appearance): Lauren Laguna Bell (1st) & Dean Micheals Studio (2nd)