THE NEWLYWEDS
No one knew what was ahead but we knew that, whatever it was, we wanted to face it as husband and wife
Yesterday was supposed to be a dream wedding for Michelle Hopewell and fiancé Jonathan Hall.
The lockdown put paid to the grand ceremony Michelle had planned
– but the pair were determined to tie the knot before it came into effect.
With time running out, the couple were married on the banks of Loch Lomond in an impromptu ceremony two days before the ban on gatherings like wedding ceremonies.
“By the evening of March 15, we knew things might not go ahead,” said actor Michelle, 29.
“We realised that the world was beginning to grind to a halt.
“I don’t think either of us actually said the word ‘elopement’ out loud. We just instinctively knew that whatever was coming next, we wanted to do it as husband and wife.”
With the support of their families and minister, Michelle and Jonathan, an architect, began to hastily rearrange.
They brought their wedding date forward to March 28, but then as the pandemic crisis escalated, the date was brought forward to March 24 and then March 20.
“The lead-up was anxious, but mostly because of what was happening in the world, and also because I was worried that things could shut down any minute and we wouldn’t get our ceremony,” she added.
“That was always the most important part of planning our wedding.
“But suddenly we had it in its purest form because it wasn’t about anything other than us coming together.
“I didn’t have any expectations or plans other than getting to Jonathan and saying that ‘I do, infinitely’.”
To the cheers of visitors, the pair were married at the beauty spot, but they have vowed to have their dream ceremony with family and friends in future. “A wedding pales into insignificance in comparison to how nice it is to marry your best friend,” said Michelle.
Enjoy new issue of Scottish Wedding online now at scottishwedding.co.uk