“So originally the wedding was supposed to take place in April but due to the lockdown restrictions we had to postpone it. We were a bit disappointed as we were obviously looking forward to the day but everyone's well being and health comes first. We were not really sure when we could rearrange our wedding day as things were still unsure due to covid. But one day we received a phone call from the City Council regarding our wedding ceremony, asking us if we would like to reschedule for September! We immediately said yes as we both really wanted to celebrate and see our friends & family. We had to keep it to a minimum of 30 people for the reception and the actual wedding ceremony was private just for our families and witnesses."

- Stick to guidelines so that everyone at your wedding can have fun whilst staying safe.
- Make sure that hand sanitiser is made available for all guests.
- Stay safe and stay positive- your love is forever no matter the wedding date!

"I always wanted to have a back garden reception for a wedding, I always found them intimate, chill & personal and in a way the restriction worked towards my way! So our witnesses who are our best friends very kindly offered to have the reception to their house and garden to take the edge of cleaning and sorting decorations out from us."

- Friends and family are always wanting to be a part of your big day, if you are feeling the organisation pressure don’t be afraid to ask for a helping hand.

"Both Stan & I wanted a botanical theme wedding. Very clean, simple yet elegant with flowers. A back garden wedding meant that social distancing would be easier for everyone too. We had wedding buntings on, a balloon arch for photo opportunities and tables set up outside for the cake and drinks."

- Use your imagination- nothing looks much like it used to, but you can still create the wedding of your dreams with a bit of creativity!
- Pick a colour theme that is already present in your home, that way flowers and decorations can get a second lease of life after your wedding.
- Create beautiful areas for photo opportunities and allow yourself the time to feel special- it is your day after all and you deserve to be celebrated!

"We also decided that due to covid affecting so many small businesses we wanted to have our wedding food, cake and flowers from smaller businesses that we love-also made the process of arranging everything a little bit easier for us. For food we both wanted pizza so we decided to make a huge order with Oscar & Rosie's (a fantastic place in Nottingham), our cake was beautifully made from The Pudding Pantry, we also had bridal cupcakes made from Clemie's Vegan Cakes, we had dried flowers from Bubble and Berry and my bridal bouquet was from HiddenBotanics. All businesses are based in the UK and all of them are smaller/independent businesses."

- Shop small- independents appreciate your business more than you know.
- Independent businesses will go above and beyond to make sure all your needs are catered for.
- Family business relies on word of mouth, so make sure to recommend friends and family, leave reviews, and stay active with them on social media!

"I can imagine a lot of couples are also planning their wedding bands as part of their wedding planning but we were very fortunate in this area as we were the lucky winners of your competition! I was so happy to be the winner as Stan had chosen my engagement ring from Temprell too, but whether we would have won or not we knew we would choose our wedding rings from you. We both feel like we have a little more special connection to you guys."

- We can design and make unique pieces to strict deadlines.
- You can be involved in as much of the process as you’d like! From 3D models to diamond viewings, Temprell aim to make this experience relaxing and enjoyable.
- Creating relationships with customers is what family run business is all about. Seeing your wedding photos and hearing engagement stories is what makes us love our job!

"Planning a wedding, even a smaller one during covid was more stressful in the sense of "will it happen this year?", "can we invite our friends?", "can we hug?". Of course we had the choice and option to postpone like so many other couples must have done. But at the same time we do not regret any minute of it, we had a stress free day, eating the food we like, celebrating with our closest family and friends. The fact that we managed to have our wedding day still meant that we could see friends that we haven't seen for so long and that was really special, especially after how this year has been. There were a lot of air hugs and hand sanitisers around but this didn't make the day any less magical!"

- Despite what may be going on outside your bubble, this day is about you and your love!
- We are all adapting and just because something is different doesn’t make it any less perfect.