After the pandemic delayed their wedding for nearly a year, Elena LaQuatra and husband Jordan finally hosted their big day.
In July 2020, just a few months into their engagement, Elena LaQuatra and her fiance Jordan were forced to indefinitely postpone their wedding due to the pandemic.
It made the WTAE anchor even more determined to make their celebration as special as possible.
“By the time we started planning the second time around, I was like, ‘I don’t want to leave any stone unturned. If there’s something I want for my wedding, we’re going to do it,’” she says.
This included a 360° photo booth, live painting, fireworks, and the three flavors of cake. Elena says she realized it was important to do what they could to make the day feel special, even aspects that may seem like minor details to others.
“I know I don’t need [the photo booth], but it’s so cool, and you only get married once,” Elena says. “I think that was one of the biggest hits of the wedding. People loved that, and I was so happy when guests appreciated all the little details.”
The couple originally hoped to marry in February 2021, but they wanted to be sure they could safely invite all of their family and friends to the wedding.
“When we first got engaged, our focus was 100% on getting married, the wedding and planning it all out,” Jordan says. “Then, holy cow … this global pandemic happened and we had to redirect our strategy. … It was interesting because it tested our relationship, too. If you can get through this, you can get through anything. I hope this was the worst thing we’re ever going to experience.”
Their wedding date ended up being Jan. 22.
Elena says she felt overcome with excitement the moment she woke up. She had been worried she may sleep in because she had spent so many late nights preparing welcome bags, wedding favors, thank you notes, and countless other small details, but she was more than ready to finally start her day.
“I was so emotional about it [because] I was so ready to get married,” Elena says. “It had been such a long engagement — two and a half years — that it was just so exciting that it was time and everything was falling into place. We could finally call ourselves husband and wife at the end of the day.”
The couple had a traditional Greek ceremony at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Mount Lebanon in honor of Elena’s Greek heritage.
Jordan says that one of the most emotional parts of his day was watching Elena walk down the aisle.
“That’s definitely when I really started to cry,” Jordan says, “because I knew we crossed that path and we were going to get married, you know? … I’m the only one that knows what [that moment] felt like, and that’s something I’ll hold forever.”
Jordan says he enjoyed planning the wedding and would encourage other grooms to get involved with their own celebration.
“A decent amount of guys I’ve talked to about it always go, ‘Let her plan it. It’s her day,’” he says. “No, it’s both of your day. Be a part of it. … Don’t have that rugged attitude of, ‘Oh, she’s going to plan it, and I’m just going to show up.’”
The couple plans to travel to Italy for their honeymoon this summer and is excited to see what’s in store for them.
“What I like most about being married is just looking forward to the next thing, [such as] starting a family at some point down the road and just enjoying life as a married couple now,” Elena says.
