Couples from Clare and Sudbury forced to postpone wedding days due to coronavirus outbreak
Having planned a wedding to cherish, couples hoping to tie the knot have been forced to make the agonising decision to postpone their big day.
With the threat of coronavirus continuing to escalate, John Allen and Lindsay Anderson, from Clare, knew they had no choice but to put their plans on hold.
“We realised quite early on that when the Covid-19 virus struck the UK, our wedding was in doubt,” said Ms Anderson, who works as a senior emergency theatre staff nurse at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, where several patients have died from the disease.
Concerned about the health implications the event could have on their loved-ones, Ms Anderson said ensuring the safety of their guests was paramount.
“Our priority was to protect our family and friends,” said the mother-of-three.
Having booked to tie the knot at Smeetham Hall in Bulmer well in advance, Ms Anderson, of Highfield, admitted that she had felt disheartened about having to postpone the event.
“The disappointment was really horrible” she said. “I felt guilty about thinking of myself. I knew we’d have a new date to look forward to, but I really felt flat.
“Organising a wedding is an enormous undertaking; we made so many items and put hours into planning.”
The couple had chosen six flower girls and two bridesmaids to take part in their special day, while Ms Anderson’s son, Daniel, who lives in Hong Kong, was set to walk her down the aisle.
Her daughter, Olivia, who is expecting a child, had to have her dress altered especially. Her other daughter, Elizabeth, is currently in self-isolation in east London.
Relieved that the different parties involved in the wedding were able to accommodate their request, the couple are now looking forward to their rescheduled event.
“We are hoping that everyone will be able to make our new date in September, and that coronavirus will allow us to celebrate then,” said Ms Anderson. “I feel for everyone whose events and plans have had to change. These are uncertain times and I feel we need to pull together.”
Calum Farrow and his fiancée, Hayley Durrant, have also been forced to postpone their wedding, having planned it nearly two years in advance.
The couple, who have been together since meeting at Sudbury Upper School, had been looking forward to the occasion in May.
Having arranged to get married at St Mary the Virgin Church in Belchamp Walter with a reception at The Granary in Sudbury, the couple were relieved after rescheduling both venues for next year.
“I think, in the long-term, everything happens for a reason, and we will make it more special,” said Mr Farrow, 26, a mechanic.
The couple, who live in south-west London, plan to move closer to their loved-ones in Sudbury.
Mr Farrow added: “We want to move back, buy a house and think about having children.”
