Covid: 'Our best man needed an oxygen tank'

A couple who had to rearrange their wedding seven times due to the pandemic have finally been able to tie the knot - although their best man, who has long Covid, required an oxygen tank. BBC News meets them and other couples who are getting married this week.

Karina and Graham Gee had just one week to turn around their wedding after the prime minister announced he was delaying the end of restrictions.

But they finally managed to hold their ceremony on Monday - although they had to make sure their venue had an oxygen tank for best man Maurice Teasdale, who has long Covid.

The groom's right-hand man fell ill in February and spent time in hospital.

He said: "I didn't think I was going to make it but I'm here today to see it all."

The newlyweds, from Kegworth, Leicestershire, got married at Swancar Farm Country House in Nottinghamshire.

This was their seventh wedding date after cancelling throughout the pandemic.

During that time, the guest list has moved from 15 to 50.

"We've had our wedding cake [change] from being a three-tier to a two-tier to a one-tier," Mrs Gee said.

"It's been total, total madness."

Mr Gee said the delay had been a "complete nightmare" for outfit planning - particularly the suits ordered 12 months ago.

"Of course in lockdown people have put weight on.... [so] everything had to be changed," he said.

They were allowed 50 guests in the end but there was one that had to be taken off the list as a sad reminder of the virus.

Mrs Gee said they lost a "good friend" who would have otherwise been at the wedding.

For Lorna Clark, 41, and Wayne Delahunty, 36, the pandemic has been a feature of their whole relationship.

The couple, from Rochester in Kent, started dating in June last year, meaning their entire relationship has played out under Covid restrictions.

The couple, who got engaged on the finishing line of the virtual London Marathon, finally got married on Tuesday.

Miss Clark said she was determined not to change the date.

"This was always going to be our date as it's our anniversary," she said.

"We only booked it in October last year.

"I think we were a little naive, thinking it would all be over."

She said the government's announcement about delays to lockdown easing had been difficult to factor into their plans.

"I can't explain how stressful last week was for us," she said.

"Obviously the announcement came out and it was like an initial 'yes we can have our numbers' but then there was the sudden reality of the other restrictions still in place."

Such restrictions initially caused confusion for some couples over how many people their venues could accommodate.

However after the guidelines were updated, the couple's venue was able to confirm they could have all 80 of their day guests and Miss Clark said staff had gone "above and beyond" to make their special day as "normal" as possible.

Jane Slater, 46, from Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, is marrying her fiancé Darren Laurie, 43, on Thursday.

The pandemic forced them to cancel their original wedding, due to be attended by 100 guests, in December.

Miss Slater said the couple had been cautious and invited just 31 guests to their big day - so the end of the 30 limit was a "relief" - and they plan to invite an extra 15 people.

Complicated rules on dancing still apply which means the couple have only booked a singer and not a disco.

Miss Slater said: "The hall is still restricted on the numbers.

"We still can't invite family members - there are still people we can't actually invite to the wedding that we want to.

"The restrictions have been lifted but I don't feel like they have really been lifted."

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