Amy and Craig are probably the only couple last year to actually choose to get married in the craziness of 2020! “It seems mad but we only got engaged in July on my 30th birthday,” Amy told us. “We figured the year had already been crazy enough, so why not get married too?! It’s obviously very different deciding to plan a wedding in a pandemic, as opposed to being forced into changing wedding plans. But it meant we went into this knowing things would likely chop and change and we knew we’d be happy with whatever we could do, however that looked; we just wanted to end the year as husband and wife.”
With this in mind, they kept things very loose in terms of themes and expectations; it was more a case of doing what they could, with their immediate families, within the restrictions. The only thing they did know was that they didn’t want anything too formal, so this naturally inspired a lot of their decisions.
Like a lot of couples last year, Dacey and Josh decided to push their large celebration until it was safe for everyone, but as they really wanted to get married on Halloween, they decided to elope with just their wedding party instead. “We really wanted to get married on Halloween as it was the first one with Blue Moon in around 70 years. It upset some family, but it also meant I was able to have my best friend with me before she moved abroad,” the bride told us. “In the end we knew we made the right choice.”
Choosing a cabin in Fairplay, Colorado as their base, the couple formed their aesthetics around Persephone in the Underworld – a little bit spooky, a lot beautiful, and above all else – ’till death do us part! Dacey chose a black lace gown from JJ’s House, a steal because it wasn’t a traditional wedding dress, and paired it with an ethereal halo crown from Carbickova Crowns.
Gary and Louise met while working the Ibiza club circuit in 2014, so there was only one theme their wedding could be! It took the pair three long years to choose the right venue, but Gary noted it was worth taking the time to make every decision about their day perfect. “We had spent a long time looking at venues and choosing the right one. We had almost given up by the time we found it, but it turned out to be the perfect location for us. It’s not worth making compromises on anything.”
Their venue hire was by far their single biggest expense, however they spent a lot more than they needed to on their invitations. “We paid a premium because we wanted the card to be thick and glossy, exactly like the flyers of our favourite club night in Ibiza.” They saved money on Louise’s outfit – she was lucky to find an incredible bridal jumpsuit on ASOS for just £120, and it was far more in keeping with their theme than a traditional bridal gown!
Getting married during Covid certainly made for unusual circumstances for Ruth and Ricci’s October wedding, but for them, it only made it feel more special. “I love the photos of us and our guests with masks on,” Ruth told us. “It captures how much of an odd year it’s been, but it didn’t stop us from doing what we set out to do.”
In fact the couple were actually glad to have to downsize their original plans for a wedding with 120 people to just 15, as it made the organisation so much easier! “We always wanted a fuss-free wedding, which focused on good food, drinks and not to have to stress over the little things. We wish we’d known from the get-go how much there is to think about! I’d never put much thought into what I wanted my wedding to be like so when I realised all the different things you’re supposed to think about in the process, it was a bit overwhelming, so cutting things back really was a blessing for us.”
Do you know what truly makes a perfect rock ‘n’ roll wedding? Two people, choosing to share their love and say their vows in their own way, and that’s exactly what Isa and Fernando did when they married in October. They chose Gold Ridge in Valley of Fire to tie the knot, hiring Cactus and Lace to create their perfect ceremony set up.
The night before they stayed at The Cosmopolitan Hotel with a few of their loved ones, but the ceremony itself was just for them. “We knew we didn’t want to be the centre of attention”, began the bride. “We are definitely introverted extroverts. When we feel comfortable we come out of our shell, but we like our privacy and want to have an intimate moment between the two of us. We just wanted to focus our attention on each other and make the moment special.”
“We started with traditional vows followed by our own personal vows. We both worked with a private jeweller, Rising Sun Apotheca, to create a special memory jar necklace so that we could collect some sand from the vow location. So, after personal vows were said, we collected the sand from under our feet and scooped it into the jar followed by a prayer from our officiant. After that we went on to our first kiss followed by an even more special first hug with sweet whispers of I love you.”
Theme wise, they found is tricky to narrow it down loving boho, rock ‘n’ roll, glam and desert vibes – so, in the end, they combined them all! “We decided we wanted to take all of our favourite things from each theme and create something we would cherish forever”, said the bride. “This is where we learned we had picked the right wedding planners and photography team. They took so many idea calls with us to help us determine what we wanted for our special day.”
They chose the Valley of Fire for their ceremony spot because they wanted to be out in nature. “Rachel from Cactus and Lace created a stunning custom moon arch for us and complemented it perfectly with a boho mix of flowers.”
Isa and Fernando have no regrets about how they got married, and because the splashed on great photos and video (their biggest single cost), their friends and family still got to feel like they were a part of the day, even though they couldn’t be there in person. In fact, the only thing they’d go back and change now would have been to bring the left over cake back with them to their hotel room! “It’s so simple, but when we ended the day we really wanted some more cake in our hotel room!”
“Be gracious to your vendors”, the bride concluded. “Our favourite thing that we did throughout our entire wedding was give back to our vendors. We were so thankful that they were willing to go through 2020 with us and still give us the best day ever that we spent a lot of time preparing thank you gifts for our teams. We purchased custom logo signs for our photography team and wedding planning team. And for our officiant, his wife is a foodie like us, so we bought them a waffle maker because they got married the month before us and we found their registry. Remember they are doing so much for you – so show them the appreciation they deserve!”
Linsey and Allison met on Tinder, and were crazy about each other from the moment they met! When it came to planning their September wedding, they were inspired by the barn and outdoor space at Garden Gate at Haley Farm in Maine, New England. “Our vision was captivating design and lush florals,” the couple told us, “to go alongside the beauty of the property. Our love for jewel tones was also an inspiration! We loved having so much outdoor space in the lawns and the back deck. We wanted an outdoor seating area the moment we saw the back deck.”
COVID restrictions at the time meant their guest list had to be small, of just 25 people. Bounty O’ Blooms provided lush florals for the day, and Nothing Bakes Like A Parrott a gorgeous pink ombre cake. One Stop Events provided rentals, but the rest of the day was planned themselves. “It is hard to plan a wedding during a pandemic! Although we had to plan a wedding with a small guest list it still feels like it turned out perfectly with our family and closest friends.”
