COVID 19 Delays Weddings of Channel 2's Chris Parente, 9News Couple

Chris Parente and Liz Kotalik announced their decisions on Twitter.

March 16, 2020

Image: Channel 2's Chris Parente has announced the postponement of his wedding to Luis Rios.

Channel 2's Chris Parente has announced the postponement of his wedding to Luis Rios. @chrisparente

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On March 13, as the spread of the COVID-19 virus continued, Governor Jared Polis temporarily banned gatherings of 250 or more, and over the weekend, the federal Centers for Disease Control offered a stricter recommendation, calling for the cancellations of events expected to attract fifty people-plus for the next eight weeks.

As a result of these edicts, three Denver TV personalities — Channel 2 morning personality Chris Parente and two 9News reporters, Liz Kotalik and Ryan Haarer — have announced that they're delaying their weddings.

In "Channel 2's Chris Parente on TV, Love and Being Yourself No Matter What," a June 2019 Q&A, Parente talked at length about how much he was looking forward to his planned nuptials with the love of his life, Luis Rios.

But at 1:36 p.m. on March 15, he tweeted: "Friends. Luis and I have made the decision to postpone our wedding. We do this in solidarity with everyone who is working to #slowthespread. We feel peace, and we encourage everyone to rise in greatness, to do what must be done."

After a pair of heart emojis, Parente added: "Love will conquer all."

As for Kotalik, who reports for and anchors on 9News's own morning show, she and Haarer, a fellow reporter/anchor at the station, had wedding plans of their own. But in a tweet sent out at 7:24 a.m. today, March 16, she revealed that the ceremony will have to wait.

"For those who‘ve followed our journey, a quick update: We canceled our wedding to respect CDC recommendations in this confusing, critical time," she wrote. "@RyanHaarer and I are beyond heartbroken, but we know many have it worse. Perspective is important always, but especially now."

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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