A Carlisle couple organised their wedding in just 72 hours to beat the latest lockdown.

Abigail Maunsell and Marc Rodda were originally due to marry in May but Covid-19 restrictions forced them to postpone and the wedding was rearranged for 2021.

Seeing the second wave of Covid-19 hit the world so fiercely, they decided to bring the wedding forward to November 21 but the announcement of yet another impending lockdown persuaded them to reschedule their wedding yet again and, on November 3, they became husband and wife.

The couple met when Marc was contracted by Abi’s landlord to carry out work around her house and their first date was at Another Place.

The wedding took place at Armathwaite Hall, near Bassenthwaite.

“Our wedding coordinator Philippa went above and beyond to make sure our last-minute wedding went so well”, said Abi. They were also thrilled with the help they received from the wedding registrars who could not have been more helpful and supportive. “They put us completely at ease,” said Abi.

The bride wore a dress from Simply Koko. Jacinta from the Simply Koko and the seamstress worked tirelessly to make sure it fitted perfectly. Makeup was done by Bridget Foster.

Abi said “Bridget didn’t even flinch when told the wedding was only 78 hours away!” Hair was by Helen Ritchie who responded to a last-minute Facebook plea as the original hairdresser couldn’t attend as her diary was full with the lockdown imminent.

The bride’s brother Thomas Maunsell stepped in as best man and Marc’s son Mason Rodda was usher with Abi’s son Alfie John as page boy. The bride’s sister Cheryl Irwin was maid of honour. Bridesmaids were bride’s daughter Lucy Turnbull; groom’s daughter Mia Rodda and bride’s niece Alisha with the couple’s daughter Millie Rodda as flower girl. The bridesmaids’ dresses from Next and the flower girl’s dress from John Lewis were delivered just in the nick of time for the wedding.

The wedding flowers were from Linda’s Flowers in Denton Holme. Abi said “they were beautiful, amazing bouquets of gorgeous white roses produced with only 25 hours’ notice.”

The bride’s parents had provided jars of sweets and wooden wishing wells for guests to fill as favours. They also provided spare wishing wells for messages from the couple’s family which they will treasure forever. The bride’s parents also pulled together table decorations and a personalised door to commemorate the wedding.

The wedding cake was lovingly made by Marc’s parents who managed to bake and decorate a two tier wedding cake with only 72 hours’ notice. Not only did they provide the cake, they dropped everything and travelled 370 miles from Devon to Carlisle for the wedding. Abi’s mum and dad gifted the cake topper they had for their wedding cake and even coloured it in to look like Marc and Abi.

The couple’s first dance was to Love Me Like You Do by Ellie Goulding.

Photos were taken by Julie Winspear Photography. Abi said: “This lady is an absolute treasure. She moved everything, cleared her whole diary for the beginning of the week so that she could make any pre-lockdown date. Julie became so much more than a ‘wedding supplier’, she became a source of strength right by my side. I could tell that it became equally as important to her. She was determined to capture our special day and keep the memories of our day and our family alive forever. This is the magic that happens when passion truly drives you.”