Sandra and Lyndon met online three years ago where they discovered a mutual love of cooking, walking, keeping fit and dogs. By 2019 the pair were discussing marriage plans and became engaged on Sandra's birthday that year.
Dreams of a fairytale castle wedding started to become a reality when they booked Lympne Castle for the big day. "Dating back to the 12th century, it has a delightful great hall with panelling, beams and Medieval windows. It was ideal for us," Sandra says.
The date was originally set for 24th April 2020 but, of course, Covid-19 had other ideas. The couple contacted the venue as soon as lockdown was announced and the team kindly accommodated a date change to September. At this time, guest lists were restricted to 30 so, Sandra says, “We reduced numbers to 24, meaning only our close family and friends were there. It was difficult uninviting guests, but everyone was incredibly understanding.”
This is the story of the couple’s wonderful wedding day…
The bride looked stunning in a Diane Legrand gown, style 7640 in champagne. "I loved this dress from the moment I tried it on," she says. The look was completed with a pair of diamond earrings, a gift from Lyndon, and a matching necklace from her sister, Debra. Lyndon wore a navy suit paired with a silver and purple leaf waistcoat, purple ruche, and matching pocket square.
As guests arrived at Lympne Castle they were given a goodie bag filled with essentials for the day ahead. Sandra had been hard at work making face masks, which were included along with a bottle of hand sanitiser, water and an oat bar snack. The bride's sister had also been crafting and created some handmade soap as a treat for everyone to take home.
The colour palette for the day featured a rich Cadbury purple, so the bridal bouquet, buttonholes and venue flowers were created with the hue taking centre stage. The bride's cousin made the big-day bake, also decorated with this vibrant shade. It also featured in the sashes that adorned the gold chiavari ceremony chairs.
Despite not being able to go ahead with the reception they'd planned, the weather was still kind in September and the couple were able to enjoy an al fresco celebration with the assembled nearest and dearest at St. Crispin Inn, Worth. Sandra explains, "The owners, Jason and Amy, were very kind in allowing us to utilize the pub garden that afternoon, and we had a small Caribbean-themed buffet." The delicious menu included rice and peas, curried goat, escovitch fish, jerk chicken, and barbecue chicken.
The couple headed down to Looe in Cornwall on honeymoon at the end of September with their fur children, dogs Bella and Teddy. "Lyndon went there as a child with his grandfather and has always wanted to go back. We both had a great time," Sandra remembers.
On the day, the challenges of the preceding months faded away and the couple felt nothing but complete happiness. Sandra says, "As it was a downsized wedding, we were able to spend more quality time with each other, as well as our select guests." The highlight for Sandra was walking up the aisle and seeing Lyndon at the end, waiting for her. The groom is in agreement as his most memorable moment was seeing his love in her dress for the first time... "and the goat curry," he adds!
The newlyweds are keen to thank one person in particular for all their hard work in seeing the day come to fruition: wedding planner Blessing. "It wouldn't have gone as smoothly without her. It's stressful organising a wedding under normal circumstances, but during the pandemic with changing government guidance, it was horrendous. Blessing navigated us through these changes, worked with suppliers and was calm and professional throughout," Sandra explains.
Sandra says, "While we were disappointed not to have the full wedding we'd envisaged, it was more important that we, our guests and others supporting us stayed safe and well by following the government's guidance. Lyndon and I spent a lot of time reflecting on our lives during lockdown and made some major decisions regarding our future together. We gained a new perspective and concluded that getting married was important to us.
We'll always be part of history in that we had a Covid wedding, and our day is one good thing that happened in 2020. "My advice to other couples facing a similar situation would be to focus on what's important to you as a couple and in these new times, be as flexible as possible." Happily, the newlyweds are planning a further wedding celebration on the first anniversary of their original big day, 24th April 2021. The bride has the excellent idea of having her dress altered into an evening gown for the occasion.
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