Love on a Budget: Casual COVID Wedding at Norwich Castle

Luis Holden

September 9, 2021

Kerry and Luca opted for a low budget, low key spring wedding at Norwich Castle. After a tumultuous 2020, the couple just wanted to get married and so their big barn wedding was replaced with a love on a budget theme which actually ended up suiting them perfectly.

“Our whole wedding was on a budget due to Luca being furloughed for the majority of 2020, so we saved money wherever we could”, Kerry began. Luca’s mum made our wedding cake which was insanely delicious. Luca decided not to purchase a new suit for the wedding, instead choosing to wear one he already owned. My wedding ring belonged to my mum which she gave to me; she no longer wears it following the passing of my dad four years ago. We didn’t need to budget for that and it’s so very special to me.”

“This is going to sound so cheesy but we didn’t really have an inspiration”, she continued, “we just really wanted to get married! We knew we wanted something low key and casual, with the focus on our family and friends after not being able to see each other for almost a year. I also feel super uncomfortable with a lot of attention and fanfare so it ended up perfect.”

In keeping with the low key vibe, there was no dress code for the guests and the bride opted for a short dress from ASOS which showed off her leg tattoos and Converse. “All the things you think you need for a wedding, you really don’t”, she continued. “We originally had lots of lawn games and a glitter bar, elaborate floral arrangements and an enormous gold disco ball. As cool as that would have been, COVID made us realise that all we needed was our nearest and dearest, and a bottle of Prosecco or ten!”

The Norwich Castle ceremony wasn’t able to be personalised at all, which they were initially disappointed about, but it actually ended up being really funny and enjoyable. “Due to COVID regulations at the ceremony venue, we were unable to choose our own music. At first, we were disappointed but everyone had fun guessing what cheesy song we’d get. As Luca and I walked in to the ceremony, we were greeted with this ridiculously formal fanfare and classical music number! We both burst out laughing and couldn’t stop throughout the ceremony!”

Although it wasn’t the wedding they originally thought they’d have, there is now nothing they’d have done differently about it. “We had a day that was 100% us”, Kerry concluded, “low key, relaxed, full of cake and burgers and fizz, and surrounded by our favourite people. Don’t stress out too much! It might feel like the end of the world if it rains or you don’t get your first choice vendor, but honestly on the day it doesn’t matter. Something is bound to happen but you’re so wrapped up in the magic of the day, that you couldn’t care less. If someone had told me Luca would be running late on the way to the ceremony, I would have had a meltdown! But on the day, it meant my family and I got to wait outside in the sun and have some really fun photos that we wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

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