Couple marry at the Queen's and recreate bride's parents' love story with a modern twist

When Georgie Leech and Andy Tubb decided to tie the knot, they never dreamt they would follow in her mum and dad’s footsteps.

Having visited a few other options in the city, Georgie and Andy popped into the Queens Hotel, Southsea, to check it out and instantly knew it was the place for them.

‘When Andy proposed I knew we wanted to do something local and my overriding thought was that I wanted all my friends and family to be there on our wedding day,’ says Georgie.

‘We came to the Queens and the moment we walked in the lobby we knew it was the place we wanted to get married – it felt just right,’ she says.

‘We worked with events coordinator Amanda Gilmore and she was able to help us turn the wedding we had planned in our heads into a reality.’

A trip to the attic by step-mum Karen brought memories flooding back for Georgie who was a bridesmaid when Karen tied the knot with her dad Peter.

They realised – with just weeks to go – that there was even an opportunity to recreate the original photo, taken in 1983.

‘I was a bridesmaid back then and it felt so special to be returning to the same spot, but this time as the bride,’ revealed Georgie, who works as a nurse.

The couple met on Tinder and were together for several years before Andy, head of retail at Hotter Shoes, proposed on Christmas Eve 2018.

‘I swiped right and it ended up being the best decision I’ve ever made,’ said Georgie.

Having booked their big day for May 2020, the pandemic meant that the couple had to wait a further two years before they could have the perfect wedding they had been planning for so long.

While Karen and Peter had married in Portsmouth Register Office on July 1, 1983, followed by fish and chips at the Still and West pub, the next day they had a blessing at St James’ Church, Emsworth, and then held their reception at the hotel.

Georgie and Andy decided to have both the ceremony and the reception at the Queens.

‘I’m quite a laid back sort of person so I’m glad my bridesmaid Kate Gordon pushed me along when it came to choosing my dress.

‘Trying on the first wedding dress felt a bit surreal but once I got into the swing of it, I started to enjoy the experience.

‘I’m quite tall so I wanted a dress that was elegant and unfussy – and when I visited the Bridal Rooms in Cosham I knew I had found the right one,’ adds Georgie.

Recommendations from friends and family helped them to choose the photographer, Carla Mortimer, florist Shelley Vernon and Birute Thomas, from Studio B, who did Georgie’s make-up on the day.

‘There are so many elements to do with a wedding that you just wouldn’t have the experience of them all in the normal run of things, so it’s great to go with personal recommendations,’ Georgie says.

On the day itself both Georgie and Andy admitted to feeling nervous before they exchanged their vows, but once the ceremony was complete, they could relax and enjoy the day.

‘Waiting in the room to go down, I’ve never felt nerves like it but that soon passed once the formalities were over and we could enjoy ourselves,’ says Georgie.

‘Andy jokes that he rescued me from the shelf – I’m just glad that we chose to get married and the whole day went so well.’

‘After all, how often do you get to have everyone that you really love in the same room at the same time – it was magical.’