‘We found the pandemic the perfect excuse to get married'

The Dorringtons on their wedding day. Picture: Carla Mortimer Photography

With government rules dictating guest lists, brides and grooms have been faced with a conundrum: to marry or not to marry.

But for Kate and Nick Dorrington, from Portsmouth, this year was the perfect time for them to tie the knot.

Kate, 42, says: ‘We found lockdown the perfect excuse to get married.

The groom and groomsmen on October 16. Picture: Carla Mortimer Photography

‘I do feel really sorry for those who have planned huge weddings and had to postpone but for us, it was perfect.’

Kate and Nick, 38, have been together for more than 20 years and have three children, Kane, Pearl and Coral.

But the big wedding never appealed to them.

‘The big, white wedding always worried me,’ explains Kate, née Denham.

Kate and her bridesmaids on her wedding day. Picture: Carla Mortimer Photography

‘We booked the venue two months before in August. I think if it was any longer I would have got so stressed. I picked my dress and flowers really quickly.’

The couple tied the knot on October 16, 2020, at Portsmouth Register Office with 15 guests. They enjoyed an afternoon tea at The Bridge Tavern and honeymooned at Tylney Hall Hotel and Gardens, Hook.

‘It was perfect from start to finish and we loved every second,’ says Kate.