Exclusive: Jasmine Luv Reflects on the Challenges of Planning a Wedding During COVID

Jasmine Luv and husband Corey Barrett first locked eyes in their apartment complex gym. "I had moved from Glendale to Downtown LA and he moved from Minnesota, and we saw each other one day," she tells The Knot. "And I thought, 'He's cute.' Then, my brother came to town, and he'd go to the gym. Since he was familiar with everyone there, I described this guy, and he said, 'Oh, that's the YouTuber, Corey.'"

Luv capitalized on a moment of courage and sent Barrett a direct message on Instagram. "I knew he couldn't have been there long, and I wrote, 'I hope you're enjoying the building. Nice to meet you. I've seen you at the gym.' It was very friendly and very open," she smiles. "He saw it, replied, and asked to link up in our common area… We played pool and talked all night, and the rest was history."

"I always tell my ladies, you should try," she says. After all: a year later, they were engaged. Together, the couple has weathered the challenges of planning a wedding during COVID, having to pivot dates and venues. The hardest part was tempering the guest list in half. Still, Luv looks back on, what was a stressful time, with longing.

"Now that it's over, I wish I had enjoyed it even more during planning," she says. "How I deal with stress is frustration, but I wish I would've just sat back and really appreciated the moment a lot more. I would tell engaged couples to enjoy that moment, enjoy the stress, because it makes the story even better." See details and photos from their wedding held at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, below.

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Corey Barrett & Jasmine Luv's Engagement Details

One year (and two months) after that date in the pool hall, Luv and Barrett got engaged. "We knew we would be together instantly, for life," she reflects. "I knew it was coming… After six months, we started becoming serious. In the back of your head, you know you're only six months in and it's early, but it was so good. It was just so good that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this person."

Eight months into their relationship, the pair explored types of engagement rings. "It was only a matter of when," she says. "I knew it was coming." Barrett had designed a ring from scratch with Simon G. "The ring is absolutely beautiful," says Luv. "It's a radiant-cut diamond: five-and-a-half carats. The band has pavé diamonds… [My husband] customized the entire ring from top to bottom." The video of the proposal has half a million views on YouTube.

Amy Anaiz Photography

Amy Anaiz Photography

Amy Anaiz Photography

Amy Anaiz Photography

Jasmine Luv's Wedding Planning Challenges

Like millions of couples, the pair suddenly faced the ins and outs of planning a COVID wedding as they had to book their vendors with restrictions still in mind. "Our first venue was originally supposed to be in Charlotte, North Carolina, at a certain hotel. It actually fell through," says Luv, the star of BET's The Waiting Room. "Then one of our fans said, 'You should have your wedding at the Biltmore!' And everyone said the Biltmore was it… I Googled it and I instantly fell in love. My husband and I went to see it in January, and we [decided this was the venue]."

Along with their new venue, the couple secured wedding planner Slomique Hawrylo of Carpe Diem Events. Luv's business manager connected the two, and they "instantly vibed" over Zoom. "She was amazing," says Luv. "We started planning back in February. From February to June, it was all planning, daily. Those last two months are the most crucial months… Your wedding planner becomes your favorite person because you're talking every single day, even multiple times a day. The planning process was naturally stressful towards the end, but it was such a great moment. Now that it's over, I'm like: 'I miss that. That anticipation.'"

Amy Anaiz Photography

Amy Anaiz Photography

Amy Anaiz Photography

Amy Anaiz Photography

Amy Anaiz Photography

One stress factor was the guest list, which had to be trimmed from their original 200-person ideal vision to under 100. "In North Carolina, they had a law allowing only 100 people max at a party. When we booked the Biltmore, we had to think about that," she says. "We had to cut our guest list in half due to COVID, and that was our biggest challenge. We had to go to each guest and express [our remorse given the times]. They thankfully understood."

The process, naturally, involved The Knot as Luv and Barrett are 2021 influencers, starting with The Knot Invitations (among other paper items). "We used The Knot for our save-the-dates, especially in the beginning stages. I was super excited. That was a really fun process," says Luv. "We also used the invitations for my bridal shower, and of course we did our wedding website through The Knot."

Jasmine Luv's Wedding and Marriage Details

On the wedding day, Barrett wore tuxedo socks gifted by Luv shortly after their engagement. Tiny such details dotted their wedding day, but there was one particularly memorable moment neither will forget.

"After we got married and right before the reception, we went into our own fitting room to have a moment to ourselves," she says. "You just look into your husband's eyes and think, 'Wow, we're really really married.' And we had that moment to ourselves—nobody saw it, nobody knew it. That was our favorite part, something I will forever cherish: that moment we had together."

Amy Anaiz Photography

Amy Anaiz Photography

Marriage has already been bliss for the pair. After the wedding, the couple enjoyed a three-night minimoon at the Ritz Carlton Laguna, courtesy of Lamborghini; the latter just so happened to be a gift from the groom. They're now focused on building their new home, with the help of gift cards from their guests. "We moved into our new home and who doesn't want gift cards or monetary gifts?" she reflects. "You're always going to need something for the house: something needs to be fixed or for the yard. We have everything we need. We have absolutely just about everything. The main thing we needed was new décor for the house that wanted to furnish."

Together, the Barretts will bear it. "I love Corey's positivity and his outlook on life," Luv concludes. "I love that he loves to have fun. He makes me laugh. He keeps me grounded. There's not just one thing I love about Cory. He makes me smile when I'm down. I said this in my vows: he brings me peace. He is my peace."