Documentaries
How couple Louise and Patrick will still have their dream wedding in lockdown thanks to TV’S top matchmaker Fred Sirieix
THE LOCKDOWN SITUATION MAKES YOU DO MAD THINGS
LOUISE
HITCHED AT HOME: OUR LOCKDOWN WEDDING
NEW MONDAY / C4 / 9PM / FACTUAL
Having realised they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, Louise and Patrick from London were excited about getting married this summer.
The couple, who met in 2017, had started organising a festival-themed wedding for 200 guests in Gloucester. But then the UK went into lockdown in March, and with their dream wedding plans now dashed, they were devastated.
However, nothing can stand in the way of true love, and this week C4’s very own Cupid, First Dates’ matchmaker Fred Sirieix, is giving the couple the chance to get hitched in a virtual celebration they’ll never forget – with their whole wedding party watching.
Their story will be shared with viewers in a one-off documentary, Hitched at Home: Our Lockdown Wedding, which follows Fred as he works around the clock to make everything as perfect as possible, from organising virtual stag and hen dos to sourcing the suits and wedding rings.
With just five days to go until their special day, Louise, 33, and Patrick, 35, joined TV Times for a chat to tell us about the wedding they thought wouldn’t happen…
What did you originally have planned for your big day? LOUISE: Patrick’s from an enormous Irish Catholic family and I’ve got a big family, too, so friends said we could use their orchard as the venue. It’s a big, beautiful space with cornfields nearby and a pond, and we were going to have a marquee and live music in the evening.
PATRICK: I’ve never liked the idea of the ‘top table’ or a sit-down meal, so I wanted a festivalthemed wedding with activities including a bungee trampoline, archery and a bouncy castle. I wanted to bring the two families together and everyone to be included in everything rather than it just being mine and Louise’s big day.
How did you feel when the UK went into lockdown? LOUISE: I’d heard someone had tried to get their notice to marry from the register office and had been turned away, so I called up and found out we couldn’t legally get married this year at all now. At the time, I thought, ‘It’s OK, we can still have our big blessing in the orchard.’ But by 8pm that night we heard the UK was going into lockdown the very next day. PATRICK: As this was in March, we thought we still had loads of time. We had practically everything sorted. Apart from our rings and my suit, everything else was done and dusted. So when we realised it wasn’t going to happen, both of us had this deflated feeling; a mix of despair and frustration. It was a complete anticlimax.
So, what made you decide to get hitched at home?
LOUISE: The lockdown situation makes you do mad things you wouldn’t normally do. We were just kicking around at home one day, saw that C4 was looking for a couple, and thought, ‘Let’s just apply! Why not?’ I’d been eating so many biscuits in lockdown, though, so it was a shock to discover I’d now have to get back into my wedding dress!
What can viewers expect from your wedding? LOUISE: Fred is our wedding planner and will be officiating the ceremony. He’s got his little black book of contacts and he’s organising all sorts of things that we have absolutely no idea about! One of my housemates is my bridesmaid and she’s been secretly arranging things, too. Otherwise, all I know is that the wedding is taking place in our back garden and there will be us two, my bridesmaid, and our dog! It’s exciting but tough at the same time. On the morning of the wedding, I’ll miss getting ready with my sister, who means the world to me. And obviously I won’t have the experience of my dad walking me down the aisle.
How will your family and friends be involved in your special day? LOUISE: They will be sent a video link to watch online. We want people to feel joy and celebrate.
PATRICK: The hardest thing is that our families aren’t going to be there – but they will be there in spirit. We’ve been filming video diaries and each day we’re getting that little bit more excited. LOUISE: Everyone likes to debrief people’s weddings, commenting on everything from the dress to the food. We knew people would debrief our wedding – but now there’s going to be so many more people watching at home! I’m actually getting quite nervous now…
What are your hopes for the future post-lockdown? PATRICK: Louise and I are keen to have children but I’m very traditional and wanted to be married first. As soon as people can move about again, we want to buy our own house and start a family. That’s what I hope our future holds after this. LOUISE: I’ve always been very attached to London; it’s my hometown and I’ve always loved the buzz of the city. But since lockdown, I’ve noticed how nature’s come out, the world has been quieter, and people seem much kinder. So I think I’m ready to leave London and enjoy life at a much slower pace. Getting married marks the beginning of our next chapter.