As we enter Lockdown 2.0, it’s easy to be disheartened. But while the now obsolete save-the-date cards, the ever-changing venue bookings and shapeshifting guest lists look set to continue into the new year, #loveisnotcancelled.

While many will choose to delay, there are also some brides and grooms showing us how to create a perfect wedding in the now. It may not be a big day exactly, but it’s imaginative, romantic and perfectly formed. One such couple is Hannah and Nick. When their October nuptials were rearranged, they decided on a downsized ceremony followed by a beautiful windswept shoot on the Yorkshire Dales. Could there be a more romantic way to make it official?!

Best Laid Plans

Yorkshire-based couple Hannah and Nick’s initial plan was to host a cosy rustic affair full of food, drink, merriment and finer details – including a 10-strong wedding party, homemade centrepieces and hessian chair covers, as well as a cake dedicated to their beloved dog, Dave.

“Neither of us are particularly formal so we had chosen The Walled Garden at Middleton Lodge as our venue, with a buffet meal and wedding band to follow,” the bride explains.

“We held out until August in the hope that the number of guests allowed would go up, before postponing our wedding until the middle of March next year.” – HANNAH

Love Lockdown

However, when it became clear that the pesky pandemic was going to stand in the way of the no-holds-barred autumnal bash that they’d been dreaming of, the bride and groom-to-be decided to make the ultimate pivot: they would get married on the original date, and leave the reception until 2021.

WE WANTED TO DO THE LEGAL BIT WITH OUR FIVE BRIDESMAIDS, FIVE GROOMSMEN AND CLOSE FAMILY.

IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO HAVE PICTURES AFTERWARDS AT LANGSTROTHDALE CHASE.

HANNAH, THE BRIDE

The setting has an extra-special significance for Hannah, as her late father’s ashes were scattered on the open moorland.

Two weeks before the wedding, the freshly-altered plans were hit by yet another set-back: the government cut wedding gathering sizes to just 15 people. “We had to slim our list down to just family,” Hannah says, “but three of my bridesmaids who lived nearby surprised me at the registry office after our vows.”

True Colours

The bride was a flame-haired vision in a gown of glittering lace and tulle from Wed2B’s limited Platinum Edition collection. Discovered when Hannah and her maid of honour had visited the boutique on a whim, the dress instantly dazzled the pair with its skirt’s sparkling filmy layers.

I WAS IN LOVE ON THE SPOT. IT WAS ORIGINALLY STRAPLESS, SO I WORKED WITH A LOCAL SEAMSTRESS TO ADD THE FLOATY SLEEVES.

HANNAH, THE BRIDE

She accessorised the dramatic look with a vintage-look string of pearls and a pair of customised bridal sneakers laced with coral ribbons and emblazoned with crystals, portraits of fellow redhead, Disney’s Ariel, as well as Hannah’s new moniker: Mrs Robinson.

Reflecting the mermaid’s glamorous mane, the bride opted for half-up half-down soft waves and natural make-up to enhance her alabaster complexion.

Wuthering Heights

Channelling Heathcliff and Cathy energy, our gorgeous bride and groom took to the valley’s epic landscape for a series of seriously breath-taking portraits.

And while heather-coated hills, incredible natural light and cascading rivers offered up plenty of Insta-gold backdrops for the loved-up pair, it was our Guest List members Paylor Photography’s sorcery that turned this laidback just-married session into pure magic.

I'VE FOLLOWED ROB AND REBECCA ON INSTAGRAM SINCE THEY SET UP AND LOVE THEIR IMAGES.

THEY'RE ALSO FANTASTIC PEOPLE TO BE AROUND, SO THEY WERE THE BEST CHOICE FOR US.

HANNAH, THE BRIDE

Belle Loves

Words from the Bride

When asked whether her ceremony’s shrinking guest list had put a dampener on her dreamy seasonal celebration, Hannah says: “I honestly didn’t notice the number of people there when we said our vows.

THE TIME NICK AND I GOT TO SPEND TOGETHER IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CEREMONY WAS PRICELESS.

WE MISSED OUR GUESTS FOR SURE, BUT WE WILL CELEBRATE WITH THEM WITH EVEN MORE GUSTO NEXT YEAR.

HANNAH, THE BRIDE

Here’s to you, Hannah and Nick Robinson – we’re sure that your many loved ones are looking forward to raising a glass to you both at Middleton Lodge in 2021.