Miami Lakes couple’s wedding foiled by COVID-19

A Miami Lakes couple’s dream wedding in Brazil that had been planned for two years was abruptly canceled when the coronavirus intruded on their lives.
Helen Roldan, 27, and her fiance Luciano
Carneiro, 31, chose March 21 when they would marry in front family and friends in his hometown.
But their plans quickly changed as the pandemic became global and many countries began to close borders and limit air traffic.
Carneiro and Roldan decided to return to the United States when they could.
Otherwise, they feared being stuck in Brazil, not knowing when they would be able to fly home.
“It was a little scary for a moment, hoping everything would work out [but then] the plans started to unravel,” Roldan said.
If the couple was disappointed, they didn’t show it in photos they had pre-paid for and decided to pose for anyway.
To make it more fun, Carneiro’s family was invited to the photo shoot, too.
Since returning home to Miami Lakes, Roldan is working from home.
She is a researcher for Florida International University’s Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center.
Carneiro works in VIP relations for the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, and is unsure how soon the resort will re-open and when he will be back at work.
They have not set a new date for their nuptials as they and the country watch and wait for the virus to be conquered.
But they do hope to eventually become husband and wife, once more in a ceremony set in Brazil.
“We are waiting to see how everything falls into place,” Roldan said.