“My bridesmaids were strangers but we’ll be friends for life now”
When lockdown restrictions disrupted her wedding plans, quick-thinking Alexis Kiser invited a bunch of people she didn’t know to fill the chapel on her big day
Most brides-tobe agonise for months over who to put on their guest list, but Alexis Kiser had no such trouble – she invited complete strangers to her wedding!
Alexis and her groom, Donovan, 22, had recently moved hundreds of miles away from their loved ones, so when Covid-19 put a stop to travel, they knew that no one would be able to come to their big day.
But rather than have an intimate wedding for two, Alexis, 22, had the unusual idea to fill their guest list with complete strangers.
And as they’d moved to
Texas – where there were no restrictions during the pandemic – their wedding could go ahead as usual. So Alexis used the friendship section of dating app, Bumble, to find her guests, and even her bridesmaids!
Alexis, a full-time nanny, says, “We didn’t want to wait to get married, but we didn’t like the idea of celebrating alone.
“So I came up with this crazy idea of inviting people we’d never met before – we thought it would be a great way to make new friends in a new town. It’ll certainly be a story to tell the grandkids!” Alexis and Donovan met as teenagers at school, but only became a couple in April 2020.
She says, “We’d always been really good friends, but over the years we just grew closer until we realised we had romantic feelings for each other, too.
“It was a whirlwind romance – once you know, you know, and after just six months of dating, we got engaged. At the time, we were living in Ohio, USA. But Donovan got a job as a warehouse manager over 1,200 miles away in Texas, so in January 2021, we decided to move.
SPONTANEITY
“The Covid-19 restrictions work a little differently in the USA, as they vary from state to state. In Ohio at the time there was a strict lockdown, but in Texas, it was much more open – you didn’t even have to wear a mask in public, and large gatherings were permitted. This meant we could have a wedding in Texas, but not in Ohio.
“We wanted to get married as soon as we could, as we’d like to start a family, but we’re quite traditional and wanted to get married first. We discussed doing it just the two of us – but it didn’t feel right. We wanted to share our special day with other people.”
The couple were unsure what to do, until Alexis came up with her unusual idea.
She says, “Inviting strangers just came to me one day – I thought it would be a fun way to meet people in the area. Thankfully, Donovan loved the spontaneity of it, so he was fully on board.
“It was nerve-wracking telling our loved ones, as we called them all individually to explain our decision. Some were pretty upset – they thought we were being selfish, and that it was ridiculous that we couldn’t wait.
“It was a bit tense for a while but, luckily, after some tricky conversations, we’ve smoothed things over with everyone.
“Thankfully, our parents were all super supportive – they wanted us to do whatever would make us happy.”
The couple booked their big day for 25 April 2021 and Alexis made a profile on friendmeeting app Bumble BFF, asking for last-minute attendees.
She says, “I explained how Donovan and I were going to
tie the knot and we wanted people to come along to help us celebrate.
“I wasn’t sure how it would be received, but we soon started getting RSVPs. Within a few days, Donovan had got his four ushers, and I’d found a bridesmaid.
“We didn’t have any requirements for our guests, we just wanted to meet different people who would be happy to share our special day with us.”
Keen to have a big bridal party, Alexis also asked her neighbours to join in on the fun.
NERVOUS
She says, “We’d only spoken to our next-door neighbours once or twice, but they ended up being an usher and bridesmaid!
“We also invited a few of Donovan’s new work colleagues – again, people he’d only exchanged a few pleasantries with – and our photographer said she had some friends that would come, too.
“And just two days before the wedding, I found my last two bridesmaids on Bumble BFF.”
Alexis and Donovan were on a tight budget, so the bridesmaids had to buy their own dresses.
Alexis says, “I decided early on that I wanted my bridesmaids to wear a pinkcoral colour. They didn’t have to match, I just wanted them to wear anything they were comfortable in that was the same hue. I ordered a dress online that arrived three days before the wedding.”
The couple met some of their 11 guests in person the night before the wedding.
Alexis explains, “I was a bit nervous, but we all got along so well and had a few too many drinks – I knew then that the wedding was going to be amazing.”
The following morning, Alexis got ready with her strangers-turned-bridesmaids.
She says, “It was so much fun getting ready together and it gave us a real chance to bond. We had champagne and got to know each other as we did our own hair and make-up. I felt so at ease. There was no part of me that felt sad that my friends and family weren’t there, because it was all so exciting.”
Alexis walked herself down the aisle, which she says was “empowering”, before she and Donovan exchanged their vows. Afterwards, they had a reception at a Mexican restaurant.
Alexis says, “It was just like any other wedding. Donovan and I made a speech thanking everyone for coming. We laughed, cried and drank a bit too much! It was such an amazing experience.
“Next year, once the restrictions have eased, we plan to do another ceremony back in Ohio with all our family and friends – but thanks to our stranger wedding, we’ve made friends for life, and they’ll all be invited, too. We had the most unique wedding ever, it’s a day I’ll never forget.
❛ I DIDN’T FEEL SAD THAT MY FRIENDS & FAMILY WEREN’T THERE BECAUSE IT WAS ALL SO EXCITING ❜