Well, what can we say... not the year any of us expected is it! 161 days since our last wedding, by which time we should have done 30-40 wonderful weddings!
No amount of restrictions were going to stop the love Alice and Tom had for each other and even with all the limitations and a lockdown lifted enough for it to take place, we have to say, it was absolutely one of the best weddings we have ever been too.
Jamie is very good friends with both Alice and Tom (in fact there is just 5 days between these 2 getting together and Jamie and his lovely wife Laura haha!) so it was an absolute pleasure to be trusted to capture their special day. 13 years together, a global pandemic wasn't going to stop them getting married was it - just change their plans slightly!
P R E P
Bridal and groom preparations took place with a very limited number of people, far from the morning carnage we're used to haha! Turning up in a mask on a ridiculously hot day wasn't something we thought we would ever have planned for either, but needs must. The friends and family of Alice and Tom we an absolute joy and of course respected our space and others by always adhering to social distancing guidelines. We both thought these limitations would really limit the rapport we could build with our couples and their families, which is something we pride ourselves on. But if anything, it created a more relaxed environment and allowed Alice and Tom to really take in their final moments before becoming a married couple.
Alice was super chilled and we don't think the smile left her face all day from the moment we met her to the time we left. Tom was also the same. It felt like a wedding day without all the wedding stress!
The only different thing? The madness when leaving for the ceremony.
- Keys? Check.
- Phone? Check.
- Wallet/Purse? Check.
MASKS?! HAS EVERYBODY GOT THEIR MASKS?
Not something we ever imagined being screamed on a wedding morning hahaha.
- - -
Alice took a quick stop to visit her nan on the way to Lichfield, as she was unable to attend the ceremony. Alice handed her nan a corsage which was such a lovely way to include her into the wedding day.
C E R E M O N Y
I guess for us, this was the most apprehensive part. The legal bit is usually the most stressful anyway, but with all the restrictions in place we really were worried about how well we could do our job. Back to Lichfield Regitry Office for us, which is somewhere we visit often and thankfully, have the loveliest registrars there who are always more than accommodating to everybody in the venue.
With the limit on weddings including registrars and photographers, Emily had to sit this one out and sunbathe (oh, it's a hard life) with any guests that were unable to attend the ceremony also. Honestly, the most surreal situation watching a wedding happen through a window!
The venue had been adapted to adhere to social distancing guidelines and all guests who were able to wore masks (apart from the bride and groom who were of course, exempt). Jamie was given his spot to stand and the ceremony was ready to go ahead. After months of uncertainty, it felt like everything had finally come together for such a wonderful couple.
Tom could be seen pacing up and down while waiting for the beautiful Alice to arrive (from both in and outside of the room ha!) and there room was filled with the excited mask muffled chatter from the lucky guests. Alice's dad proudly walked her down the aisle and handed her over to Tom. There was a beautiful reading from one of the bridesmaids and as quick as it began, the legal bit was over.
When the outside spectators saw Alice and Tom's first married kiss through the window, there was a big roar of applause and cheers. Something we'll never forget. We then took a few friends and family images in safe social bubbles before taking Alice and Tom off their first photos as a married couple. There's two things you can't plan for on your wedding day... and that's a global pandemic and the weather! At least the sun was on our side haha.
The guests then went off for a social distanced meal at The Old School House in Weeford, a venue we love to visit. So we followed along to steal the couple away for 10 minutes to get some pictures at such a stunning venue... we couldn't lose an opportunity like that with such a stunning couple!
R E C E P T I O N ? W E L L ... T H E S M A L L G E T T O G E T H E R !
Due to restrictions receptions still can't happen, so Alice's parents dressed up their back garden to accommodate small social bubbles of guests to continue the celebrations. We've been to many weddings but honestly the attention to detail we saw go into the garden and still abiding by guidelines was incredible.
A message to those getting married during this global pandemic...
This is not your fault. It might not be the wedding you planned for but it doesn't mean you can't still have the best day of you life. Alice and Tom, we really do wish you both all the best and even in restricted circumstances you really did show love wins. We wish you both all the very best for the future!
A & T
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