Government shutdown forces couple to relocate wedding with just 7 days notice

A couple set to be married at the end of the month was forced to scramble and find a new location due to the most recent government shutdown.

Amanda McLearn-Montz and her finace, Ian Buchta, were ready to say their vows on Dec. 29 during an intimate ceremony on the cliffs of Cabrillo National Monument Park in San Diego, California, they told INSIDER.

However, the couple's plans were disrupted after Congress failed to approve a spending bill that included $5B in funding for Trump's proposed border wall, resulting in a partial government shutdown on Dec. 22.

National parks across the country, including Cabrillo, have been closed in wake of the move, leaving McLearn-Montz and Buchta with just seven days to find themselves a new wedding venue.

"During all of this, I've felt stressed and disappointed," McLearn-Montz told INSIDER via email. "I'm still disappointed we will not exchange vows at Cabrillo. Cabrillo is a beautiful place; its gorgeous cliffs and wildlife fit my fiancé and me so well and would have been the perfect setting to make our promises to each other."

Luckily, McLearn-Montz's said her parents were able to find a church where they could hold their ceremony. The restaurant where they planned to hold their reception was not affected by the shutdown.

But despite the last-minute shakeup, the bride-to-be told INSIDER she is still eagerly anticipating her big day.

"It'll be the happiest day of my life whether I'm on cliffs overlooking the ocean or in a Christmas decorated church," she said. "The most important thing is that I get to marry my best friend."