Your Cheshire and Merseyside Wedding - January/February 2021 (Issue 55)

25  REAL WEDDINGS gin and label with “we tied the knot, now take a shot” stickers. Hannah remembers, “It was a simple plan but my parents’ dining room smelt like a distillery by the time we were finished! I was glad we only had 15 to do rather than the original 95.” LOOKING THE PART Hannah kept an open mind when it came to the all-important dress. She noticed that Boutique Brides of Crosby was holding a Ronald Joyce trunk show and thought this would be a good place to start. “I fell in love with the first dress I tried on. It wasn’t anything I thought I’d ever go for, but it suited me perfectly,” she says. Hannah had selected Celine , an ivory off-the-shoulder, A-line with a full skirt cinched at the waist. She paired the gown with a mid- heel shoe from Phase Eight, which she was happy to have lasted all day in, but wisely came prepared with a pair of sparkly cream trainers for dancing. Although sadly, these didn’t get the outing that was intended for them due to Covid restrictions on music and dancing. Mike wore a blue suit from Next, as did his groomsmen and the fathers. They were all three-piece, but the groom paired his with a different coloured waistcoat to stand out as the man of the hour. All of the gents completed their look with plum ties and pocket squares, and Hannah gifted Mike cufflinks and a tie clip engraved with their initials. Finally, not allowing Covid to compromise style, Mike wore a face mask to match his suit. Hannah knew she wanted her best girls to wear the same shade of plum and gave the choice of two beautiful styles – a one shoulder or a sleeveless with a cowl back. “All three preferred the latter, which looked great on them,” Hannah shares. TIME TO CELEBRATE Since the DJ had to be cancelled due to pandemic-related music restrictions, Hannah and Mike put together their own playlist, which played softly in the background while they ate. “We entered the room to One Day Like This by Elbow and had our first dance to Follow Me, Follow You by Genesis. Only we were able to dance, but it was still special,” the bride tells us. The newlyweds and their guests were able to make use of the hotel’s VIP lounge for table service drinks until the 10pm curfew in groups of six. “It meant we were able to chat to all of our guests and enjoy their company rather than just through Zoom, as had been the case in the preceding months,” Hannah says. LOVE IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS Hannah tells us about the rollercoaster of emotions they experienced replanning and hosting their big day in the midst of a global crisis: “We started planning our wedding 18 months ahead and were filled with grand ideas about what we wanted our day to be. However, the stress of replanning under such difficult circumstances was horrible. Our guest list was cut from 95 to 30, then two weeks beforehand down to 15. All enjoyment had gone from the process and we just wanted the day over with, which was really sad. “In hindsight though, stress aside, we wouldn’t have had our day any other way and made sure it still stayed true to us as a couple. We were waved into the church by friends and family who couldn’t attend and we were overwhelmed by the support shown. Everyone was willing our day to go ahead, as it was something to bring joy. Plus, we were able to enjoy our guests’ company as well as having time to reflect, just the two of us.” The newlyweds are planning to host their evening party next year, around the time of their first anniversary, with loved ones from their original guest list all in attendance. We wish them every happiness.