'We beat lockdown!' - Couple get hitched in race against the clock

Becky and Danny Lowe from Donnington in Telford were set to get hitched on November 28, but the announcement of a second national shutdown on the day of her final dress fitting wrecked their plans and looked to have put their big day on ice.

Tears flowed, but the couple wondered if they could find a way of getting married before November 5. Thankfully, they managed it, with 13 socially distanced guests at their ceremony at Netley Hall, Dorrington, Shrewsbury, while more than 100 loved ones tuned in to watch via a live stream.

Teaching assistant Becky said: "Having gone through a long eight months of uncertainty about our wedding day, we wanted to do all we could to go through with the wedding.

"Saturday, October 31 came. Four weeks until the big day and my final dress fitting. We awoke to the grim news of a supposed leaked report that was threatening an imminent lockdown. Stop! this can't be true. Please!

"A day of fear, constantly checking for the newest updates and the worry all back to hit us again. I went to my dress fitting and it was a day I will never forget. I put on my beautiful, newly fitting, wedding dress to look in the mirror and feel nothing but numbness.

"Later that evening I was trying to come to terms with what felt like grief for my wedding. It was over and after all the fight we had put it to keep the marriage happening this year, it hurt. Through the tears the words I will never forget saying 'Do you think we could do it before Thursday?' Much to my surprise, Danny said he thought the same and that was it. That was all I needed to hear!

She added: "The venue were amazing. We spent the whole of Sunday trying to put in place suppliers and guests for a wedding that we couldn't even confirm. It was Sunday and we were unable to contact the registrars until the Monday morning. We had everyone possible on board and the mountains that people moved for us was honestly humbling.

"Left to his own devices on the Monday morning, the husband to be was tasked with the most important phone call he could make. The one that gave these new plans the go ahead or the cut! Well... he did it! The registrars were now in place and we had 48 hours until we were due to say our vows.

"The following 48 hours went in such a blur. Sleep? No! Food? No time! But fast forward 48 hours and at 2pm on Wednesday, November 4, I walked down the aisle with 13 of our closest friends and family with us and met my husband to be at the bottom. We also had over 100 guests who joined us through our live stream of the wedding, a magical and very apt 2020 moment.

"The emotion felt by all was of happiness, pride, relief and love. We did it, we officially beat the lockdown. We started our married life with our 13 guests having a sit down meal which was so intimate and memorable."

Many couples have postponed their weddings for a long time due to fears that virus complications would spoil the whole day.

But Becky said: "For anyone reading this with a pending wedding, let me tell you. I over thought every single minute of how I imagined my wedding to be. I played thousands of songs desperate to find the perfect words, I read a million poems hunting for the description of love, I trailed through pages of websites adamant to find the perfect decorations, favours and ideas. But I can say, hand on heart, that my wedding day was perfect. This year has taught us not to take for granted what we have, but to make the most of every precious moment with one another and that is what we did."