CORONAVIRUS COULDN’T STOP OUR BIG DAY
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COUPLE who couldn’t wait to tie the knot were married yesterday – but with just 10 guests due to the ban on mass gatherings amid the coronavirus crisis.
Poppy Westacott, 26, and Ashley Frost, 25, have been together for three years after initially losing touch as adults, despite growing up together because their fathers were best friends.
The pair were afraid this week that the wedding, planned for 16 months, would not go ahead and, on Wednesday, the venue, Fairyhill in Gower, made the heartbreaking decision to postpone more than 110 weddings due to take place between now and July due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Registrars at the moment can preside over ceremonies of 10 or less, leaving the Newport couple with an agonising decision – their grandparents were unable to attend. The Government also advises the elderly to avoid social situations.
Speaking before her big day, Poppy, a supply manager, said: “We talked about it in the week leading up to today, we didn’t know if we’d make it to the wedding without us going into lockdown, or one of our guests getting ill.
“I cried about it all week. All we wanted to do was get married – that’s all we ever wanted. We just really didn’t want to wait or go to the end of the year without being husband and wife. We’re really lucky that Fairyhill have moved it, we don’t have to pay for anything. People have been amazing.
“We really did want our grandparents to be there, but they’re over the age of 70. it was too risky for them to be there.
“We have our parents and we’re very close to our siblings, we’d love to have our friends and bridesmaids there, but it’s not doable.”
Ashley, who is in the army, said he was ‘absolutely gutted’ as he wanted his partner to have the best day.
“All week Poppy was saying it would be cancelled and I said don’t be silly,” he said. “But then we had the phone call on
Wednesday, I was absolutely gutted. I wanted Poppy to have the best day. But as long as we get married, that’s all that matters.”
The original ceremony was due to have 84 guests during the day and an extra 24 were coming to the night celebration. Fairyhill, which is part of the Oldwalls Collection in the Gower, was able to accommodate the couple yesterday and have moved the wedding party to December, when the couple will have a blessing and Poppy will finally wear her wedding dress.
Poppy said: “We’re having a celebration on Sunday at the house so I am going to wear a little black dress I had for that – it wouldn’t be right to wear my wedding dress. I want to keep the wedding dress for our big special day, to have the big entrance.”
But the couple’s grandmothers are determined not to miss out on toasting the happy day for Poppy and Ashley.
Poppy said: “Our grandmothers are all going to have their fascinators on at 2pm and have a drink, ’cos they are not there!”
The Oldwalls Collection has contacted 116 couples due to marry this spring and summer to offer them postponement dates.
Ninety per cent of the couples have deferred their original date to later in the year, and the Oldwalls Collection has also vowed to sustain their salaried staff over the next four months.
Shakira Obaid, commercial director, said: “Please remember weddings are the affirmation of family, friendship and love, and once we’ve got through this on the other side, we will all need these celebrations more than ever before.
“We promise that The Oldwalls Collection will remain No.1 in the UK and deliver the best weddings the nation has ever seen.”