Covid: Couple arrange quick-fire wedding to beat tier 4 change

A couple swiftly arranged a same-day wedding to avoid missing out when their area moved to the highest tier of coronavirus restrictions.

Jemma and Josh Copestake, from Shirebrook, Derbyshire, had been due to marry on Saturday.

But they hastily brought it forward when the tier change was announced.

Weddings with up to 15 guests are allowed in tier three but only services with "exceptional circumstances" are permitted in tier four.

The drama started at 15:00 GMT on Wednesday when it was announced Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire - along with many other parts of the country - would move to tier four at 00:01 the following day.

Mrs Copestake, 32, said at that point she was resigned to the service, which had already been postponed from August, having to be pushed back again.

But her sister persuaded her they should try to make it happen that day - and when the vicar confirmed she was available to lead the service, they summoned guests to St Peter and St Paul's Church, in the Nottinghamshire village of Church Warsop, for a wedding at 17:30.

"We'd thought the change might not come in until Monday but when we found it was the next day, we just thought we couldn't have the wedding," she said.

"But then I spoke to my sister and she said, 'Jemma - you are getting married tonight'.

"She got in contact with the vicar, the Reverend Angela Fletcher, who said if I could be in church for five-thirty it could go ahead. She was an absolute star."

As well as the 15 invited guests inside the church, more than 100 friends and locals stood socially distanced outside to welcome them to their hastily-convened nuptials, which were also streamed online.

"The men's shirts and ties hadn't arrived so they all literally just put on white shirts. The ushers had no ties but it looked like it was meant to be that way," Mrs Copestake said.

"The florist ran to his shop and quickly made me up a bouquet. It was such a group effort - not just family and friends but the whole community.

"It may not have been how we planned it but it was beautiful."

Instead of a wedding reception, the newlyweds rounded off their day with a takeaway pizza at home.

They said they planned to hold a large celebration once things were back to normal - as well as a honeymoon when they are able.

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