USA / Couple separated from family marry at US-Canada border for both sides to see

New Brunswick: A Nova Scotia couple separated from some of their family amid the COVID-19 pandemic have tied the knot on the US-Canada border so that relatives in Maine could watch from across the water. 

Lindsay Clowes and Alex Leckie tied the knot in an outdoor ceremony along the St. Croix River in St. Stephen, New Brunswick this past Saturday. 

The couple's American family were standing on a wharf on the other side of the river, which - despite being just meters away - was located in US territory. 

'There's not an ounce of disappointment that we decided to go this route. It's definitely a story that we will remember and be telling for years to come,' Clowes told CBC on Tuesday. 

The bride grew up in Calais, Maine, where much of her family still lives.   

She and Leckie were originally planning to marry in Canada earlier this year, before the pandemic threw their plans into chaos. 

Suddenly, Clowes' family were blocked from crossing the border, meaning she was faced with the prospect of not having her loved ones see her walk down the aisle. 

The bride-to-be spent several months believing her wedding would be on hold indefinitely - until she came up with the idea of marrying along the St. Croix River. 

However, Clownes still had to clear the event with authorities in two countries. 

In New Brunswick, gatherings of more than 50 people are prohibited.  Therefore, Clownes and Leckie opted to only invite around 30 of their nearest and dearest. 

Meanwhile, Maine officials allowed about 15 of the bride's relatives to gather on the US side of the water to watch the event together.   

'It was really neat because I could see, you know, Alex standing at the altar in front of me. I could see my family on the US side, and then I could see some of my relatives in the boat just out from the wharf,' Clownes stated. 

She subsequently shared incredible snaps of the event to her Instagram page - including a drone shot which showed two clusters of guests gathered on either side of the border. 

Another heartwarming snap shows Clownes' American grandparents on a small boat which chartered close to the Canadian side of the river. 

They were able to chat to the groom's Canadian grandparents from the vessel.   

The couple say they also streamed the event for others who were unable to be at the ceremony in person.  

'We did live stream it through a Facebook group we created and we were able to live stream it to everyone across the water, and everyone in Canada that wasn't able to make it to the ceremony,' Leckie told CBC.