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Brook O’Brien (24) and Richard Appleby (30) got engaged in 2019 and had been looking forward to getting married in front of their closest friends and family in a relaxed outdoor ceremony next month.
But shortly before the UK went into lockdown and all weddings were banned indefinitely, the heartbroken couple of four years decided to call a halt to their celebration.
Brook was stunned when she walked into the living room earlier this month to discover Richard had put on a surprise ceremony of his own – arranging candles and flowers to recreate the wedding atmosphere.
The pair dressed up in wedding attire and shared emotional vows, using their camera on a tripod to capture the special moment.
They posted their romantic snaps online to share it with family and friends.
“We were due to get married in May and had all the preparations done, with the hen and stag dos being booked a week before the lockdown,” wedding photographer Brook said.
“But we cancelled the wedding because we didn’t want to put the older guests, or anyone, at risk of getting ill.
“Like a lot of couples, we were upset about having to cancel, but we know our day will come, the most important thing is that our friends and family stay healthy.
“Last week Richard surprised me by turning our living room into a ceremony room, it was really sweet.
“I picked a white summer dress that I’d worn on holiday – I was going to wear my wedding dress but Richard thought it would be better to save it for our actual wedding.
“It was kind of like a real ceremony and we read out our handwritten vows to each other. It was surprisingly emotional, as it was so personal and really beautiful.
“It was the sweetest, most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me. “
The couple have been on cloud nine ever since.
“It’s made us realise there’s no need to worry and stress about the tiny little details that couples so often stress about, or having the fanciest venue – the true meaning of a wedding is all about the love between two people.
“The most important thing is that you’ve got each other and you love each other.”
When Brook shared their romantic images on Facebook, it inspired other couples also forced to cancel their weddings to do the same and went viral, racking up thousands of likes.
The pair are now looking to rearrange their wedding for May 2021, but are glad they have already had a mock commemoration that meant so much to them.
Source: MagazineFeature
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