Welcome to our first issue this side of lockdown! Since we last printed a magazine, the shape of weddings has changed dramatically. That doesn’t mean couples looking to get married in 2021, 2022 and beyond should curtail their dreams. Quite the opposite: even in the midst of a pandemic, planning optimistically but cautiously is the way forward – and there’s no better starting point than our October-November issue
Never mind keeping on top of the changing coronavirus restrictions, the constantly shifting wedding date has become a thing. Couples who pushed back their spring nuptials to summer are again having to postpone until 2021 or later.
Some have bitten the bullet and accepted that while their big day may be less big (a pandemic is not the usual means of whittling down the guest list!), making that lifelong commitment feels even more important right now, even if it is in front of just 18 guests. In this issue, we meet four newlyweds who said ‘I will’ when ceremonies were, at last, permitted. Hearing their love stories has been a tonic for these tough times.
Sadly many venues have yet to reopen, but we chat to some of those that have about how they are navigating the current restrictions and making it safe for couples to marry in ‘The New Normal’.
Many vendors – the majority being small companies or sole traders – are having to cope with wipe-out of their entire annual income. 2020 has been a cruel mistress to the sector, so we’re more determined than ever to champion the talent involved behind the scenes. Collectively, they’re doing everything in their power to keep delayed wedding dreams alive.
Firstly, we asked the guys who work in groomswear stores to pose in their favourite looks, while makeup artists play model in our ‘Do It Your Selfie’ bridal beauty feature. Our ‘Behind the Lens’ photography special profiles some of the country’s top wedding photographers and the new ‘Supplier Spotlights’ peppered throughout the magazine do the same in other sections.
Our real weddings this issue hark back to the halcyon days before Covid hit (although one just made it). We hear from one couple who had a glorious Sicilian feast and disco extravaganza at Cormiston Farm in Lanarkshire, while another hosted an effortlessly glamorous wedding in Aberdeenshire inspired by the groom’s job as a fisherman.
Pick up the October-November issue at larger supermarkets and selected retailers, read it here for free or treat yourself to a subscription for just £18.