Not only do we have a gorgeous wedding shoot to share… we have a story! It’s very beautiful and a bit emosh! This NHS wedding was sent into us by Pike Photography, featuring a real couple with a remarkable story. Read on to find out how a group of wedding suppliers created a beautiful wedding shoot for two paramedics after their big day was postponed. 

Emily and Ben are both paramedics for the London Ambulance Service. 2020 was supposed to be the year that they got married, but it wasn’t to be. Following Ben’s romantic proposal on a mountain top in New Zealand a year earlier, they began to excitedly plan their big day. At the time, they could never have dreamed that their wedding would be postponed. They certainly had no idea that they would instead spend it on the front lines of a global pandemic.

The outbreak of Covid-19 has shattered the wedding plans of countless couples. As paramedics, Emily and Ben witnessed first-hand how the virus devastated lives. Emily described their experience:

“Hours and days at work quickly got longer and longer so I moved into a hotel in London to be nearer to work. I was responsible for PPE distribution which was one of the most stressful times of my life. Ben worked solidly 7 days a week to cover some of the vacant shifts on ambulances. We worked together on an ambulance a few times and worked together as hospital liaison officers to help triage patents waiting to go into A&E. These were the only opportunities that we had to see each other for much of that period. As time went on we knew that we were not going to have the big white wedding we had planned this year.”

A SURPRISE NHS WEDDING TO SAY THANK YOU…

Dunton Lodge Farm Weddings is a gorgeous outdoor wedding venue set amidst the North Hertfordshire countryside. When the owners asked Pike Photography and a team of wedding suppliers to showcase their venue in a styled shoot, they couldn’t refuse. The team also seized the opportunity to say thank you to this very special couple by creating a taster wedding to tide them over until they can say ‘I do’ for real!

FROM SCRUBS TO SPARKLES…

Lisa Lyons Bridal created a gorgeous bespoke hand-made wedding dress for Emily. Claire of Barberella Bridal Hair created a gorgeous textured and braided low bun hair style, complemented with a delicate floral hair piece.

Ben wore a sharp three-piece blue tweed suit from HRH Holmes, with a gold tie to complement the wider colour scheme.  Emily thought that Ben looked so handsome in it that she now won’t have him wear anything else when their real wedding day comes around!

Sarah of Sarah Maylin Flowers used beautiful pale blue Oxypetalum, also known as Tweedia, for the bride’s bouquet and throughout her floral pieces. This lent itself perfectly to the blue and gold colour palette and wedding styling by Fleur De Lace. What a perfect NHS wedding tribute!

A MOCK CEREMONY BEFORE THE BIG DAY

“The NHS wedding shoot was amazing, despite being the hottest day of the year. All the suppliers were so lovely and made us feel special, even though it was only for a photo shoot. The surprises were not over there, the team had arranged a celebrant to conduct a mock ceremony. A huge thank you to Dunton Lodge Farm Weddings” – Emily

Everyone had major goose bumps as the bride and groom, led beautifully by civil celebrant Charlotte Roscow, recited their personal vows to one another and exchanged their real wedding rings.

Experience a taster of this in the emotional video produced by Ayelle Photography.

DANCING UNDER STARS – AN NHS WEDDING CELEBRATION

As the sun began to set Emily, changed outfits to sparkle amidst the warm sunset. Swapping the lace cape for a sequinned capelet by Electric Plume and adding a jewelled vintage headpiece by The Lucky Sixpence gave her a glamorous second look.

The centerpiece of the shoot was a striking “naked” nimbus tipi. Provided by Country Tipis, it was set up on the front lawn and adorned with fairy lights. The structure was dressed with a stunning hanging floral display. For the tables and installation, Sarah added different tones of blue as well as white. These were complemented by the gorgeous metallic gold and vibrant blue stars, lanterns and glitter balls by Fleur De Lace.

To perfectly round off the day, James of Disco Nyts created the perfect atmosphere for the evening. There was music, dramatic lighting and smoke effects. The amazing NHS wedding couple danced together beneath the stars.

“Watching our couple embrace on the dance floor, I was reminded of why I love my job so much. Despite all of the stress and uncertainty that this crazy situation has brought, love always prevails and weddings will always be awesome.” Stephen of Pike Photography.

Thank you, weddings. Thank you, NHS. Stick it Covid!