Somerset couple bring wedding forward to beat lockdown

Ian Angell and Samantha Ellison Nash brought the wedding forward by 24 hours

A couple brought their wedding forward by 24 hours in order to tie the knot before lockdown.

Ian Angell and his fiancée Samantha Ellison Nash were due to get married on Thursday but had to change their plans at the eleventh hour.

Mr Angell said they had a "hectic weekend" and "some uneasy moments" when the service was thrown into doubt.

They thanked everyone involved for making it happen and said they felt "privileged and lucky".

The couple met while training as nurses and were married on Wednesday afternoon at the Church of the Holy Ghost in Crowcombe, Somerset.

The late change of date was just one of a series of adjustments they had to make since booking the wedding in pre-Covid-19 times, with restrictions on weddings changing over the course of the year.

The wedding was the only one to be held at the church this year

Mr Angell said: "Originally we had 50 people coming to the day service, and 150 in the evening.

"Then the first lockdown came and we had to rearrange things and start to reduce numbers as only 30 people were allowed, and then we were geared up for having 15 people.

"Let's just say there were a few uneasy moments on Saturday when plans looked slightly askew."

The couple have already booked a venue for a "re-enactment" of their wedding on 5 November 2021, with all the original guests invited.

"We're genuinely feeling quite privileged and lucky. It's not just about us, it's about everyone who has rearranged their schedules. Everyone has been fantastic," Mr Angell added.

The wedding had been due to take place on Thursday

Vicar Angela Berners-Wilson said Ian and Samantha's wedding was the only one to be held at the church this year, with all the others postponed until 2021.

She said: "There were an awful lot of phone calls over the weekend but we've managed to do it so I'm delighted.

"When I heard the news about lockdown my immediate thought was for Ian and Sam.

"I thought I wonder if we could do it a day earlier and within about an hour Ian had rung me and asked the same question."