When Your Wedding Day Is Sept. 11

Getting married during a pandemic can force tough choices — including the date.

One evening in March 2020, Angeline Disante, 29, was tasting teriyaki steak on a stick to be served at her wedding on April 15. Once the pandemic hit, Ms. Disante and her fiancé rescheduled the wedding for Nov. 28. Not surprisingly, that one had to be postponed as well. Her venue in New Rochelle, N.Y., still had one date open for a third attempt; coincidentally, her photographer, videographer, hair and makeup artists, florist, D.J., and “dais bedazzler” were also available. It was a Saturday night in September, the holy grail of New York nuptials. It was also the 20th anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil. “I told them, ‘Cross that date off your list,’” recalled Ms. Disante, who is engaged to a police officer. Her brother is also a police officer, and there were many more on the couple’s guest list. “I wouldn’t even consider 9/11,” she said. “There was no way I was doing it.”