Father of the Bride Fans Will Swoon Over Meredith Brander and Ford Yates’ At-Home “I Do’s”

Meredith Brander and Ford Yates
July 18, 2020

By early June, when COVID-19 had shown no signs of slowing down, Meredith Brander realized she needed a plan B for her wedding. She and fiancé Ford Yates, whom she met at the University of Oklahoma in 2015, were set to have a 300-person wedding the next month, followed by a reception at the Dallas Country Club. As it turns out, the change of plans worked in Meredith’s favor—a downsized gathering could be moved to Ford’s parents’ backyard, her initial choice for a venue. The couple was able to keep their July 18 date, with a ceremony at Highland Park Presbyterian Church, where Ford’s parents wed, and a backyard celebration attended by half of their originally invited guests. After weeks of uncertainty, getting to spend time with their nearest and dearest made everything worthwhile. “I didn’t even know five days beforehand if the weekend would happen,” Meredith remembers. “The wedding was kind of the first time we saw family and friends, and it was a huge relief to finally celebrate.”

Click here to see how other couples pivoted their wedding plans in the face of COVID-19.

Plan A: A 300-guest Highland Park Presbyterian Church ceremony and Dallas Country Club reception

Plan B: A 180-person Highland Park Presbyterian Church ceremony and reception at the groom’s parents’ house