Kat’s Lovely Lockdown Wedding and Post-Covid Plans

Another stunning, socially-distanced wedding, coming right up!

Kat married her husband Dan on 26th September 2020. The pair had their ceremony in Henley on Thames, followed by a small gathering in Hethe village.

Due to the restrictions, the pair’s plans for a big party turned into an intimate ceremony with only their parents as witnesses, followed by 30 guests for a meal.

Kat chose Euphoria by Ivory & Co from our boutique – Boho Bride. A detailed dress exuding understated glamour, Euphoria suited Kat and Dan’s relaxed day perfectly, while the luxe laces, silks and crepes bring that necessary romance. Kat can’t wait to stun in her gorgeous gown all over again, for the pair’s Spring-time blowout!

Tell us about your wedding!

We hired a village hall and had the meal there, we had the tables well-spaced and had six people per table, which left plenty of room between people. Hand sanitiser was everywhere along with signs I had handwritten on slates reminding everyone to sanitise!

Our guests included only close friends and family, which meant that lots of people knew each other and spent a lot of time catching up (at a distance!) which was really lovely.

How was your day different to the one you originally planned?

We postponed twice! We were initially going to marry on the 22nd May, we moved this, very optimistically to the 4th September. This date got cancelled by the original venue, so we searched elsewhere.

Our wedding was very different from the day we had initially planned. As well as the change in location, we were planning a big party with a fantastic band, lots of drink and great food. We both love throwing a party, so our entire wedding revolved around this.

How did the Covid restrictions make you feel?

Postponing was just heart-breaking.

But, delaying our wedding the first time was, surprisingly, an easier pill to swallow than the second postponement. I think this was because I knew I wasn’t alone in this – the entire country faced disruptions and changes to their plans. But, by the 4th September, weddings were going ahead, so when the venue cancelled because of their risk assessment, it was much harder to reconcile with.

For us, the most important thing is each other. Marrying each other was about us: not the party, not the number of guests (even though we do love a party!).

We also felt like we all needed a really happy day! It was so lovely for everyone to enjoy something for the first time in a while, which is why we kept persisting and didn’t postpone until next year.

Tell us about your gorgeous dress!

My dress was the first one I tried on at Boho Bride! I was torn between the one I went with and another Boho dress. Eventually, I chose the dress that made me feel most special.

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It was the champagne blush silk underskirt that drew me towards the dress – I loved this colour, with the ivory lace over the top. It’s just so unique! I can remember thinking that Dan would like it too.

The thing I loved the most about the dress was that I had never seen anyone wear anything like it; it felt really special and unique.

I also felt really comfortable in my dress – like it was designed for me! This made it really easy to relax and enjoy the day.

What was the most memorable moment of your day?

Aside from marrying my husband, one of the most memorable moments was when I was lifted over a fence, into a sheep field. My new mother-in-law held my dress (and a little too high!).

We achieved the desired result though – the most beautiful sunset photos!

What’s one thing you’ve learned from your wedding?

I’ve learnt is that it truly will happen when its right. I’d started to lose faith and patience when people kept saying this to me, but it’s true! Your love for each other hasn’t gone away, and you will get married, it just wasn’t when you planned it to be.

What’s next?

We do have a vow renewal, and of course, the big party planned for May next year. I’m hoping for the sake of all weddings next year that this will go ahead. We can but hope!

It also means I get to wear my wedding dress again!

I’m a little tempted to make some alterations to change it up a little bit. But either way, I’ll be wearing it again! Everyone wishes they could wear their wedding dress again and I get to!

VIDEO: Everything You Need to Know About Bridal Alterations

What advice do you have for other brides with weddings scheduled during the pandemic?

My biggest advice would be to take the time to evaluate what you truly, truly want from your wedding day.

Have really honest conversations with your partner about what they want too. Before we had these conversations, we both assumed each other wanted a big party, and we were becoming frustrated because we couldn’t. It turns out that all we both wanted was to get married!