I met Amy from Amy Meadows Events (Queen Oxford wedding planner, and planner of all events) about a year ago, and she is one of those people who you meet in life that you’re never going to let go… She’s organised, like super organised, has a black book full of contacts, she’s a listener and everything you’d want as a partner in crime… she planned my exhibition (100 women of Oxford)
Amy was also suppose to be getting married this year, and sadly, like so many other couples, had to make the decision to postpone their day they’d spent a year planning due to COVID-19. I met up with her and her partner James (at a social distance obviously), to take a few snaps on what would have been their wedding day.
“Our wedding was cancelled in March, with 2 months to go. As a wedding planner myself, I spent the first 3 weeks of lockdown working with my clients to postpone their weddings, dealing with the emotional fallout and mountains of admin. The reality of postponing my own wedding didn’t really hit me until the week before our original date. I was in a foul mood, and more than anything I was hoping to fast forward through the weekend and not have to think about it.
When Philippa offered to come and take some photographs on the day, it made me realise that I would like to document the day somehow, even if it was extremely sad.
Entirely led by my partner James, we decided to design a day that would feel celebratory, even if I was going to be a grumpy mare throughout. We dressed up (James in his full wedding suit, and me in a dress I had made for my hen do – the proper dress is staying in the cupboard for the day itself!) We put on our wedding rings. We had smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for breakfast, and wrote the first draft of our vows in the morning. Our ceremony would have started at 3pm, so we had a Zoom toast with family, our bridesmaids, and ushers. By the end of the day, our house looked like a florist, a hamper of cheese arrived from some of my best friends, and to top it off a friend delivered flowers, wine and cream tea in a wedding-themed wheelbarrow.
What I hadn’t considered when I was so busy being angry and sad about postponing the wedding, was that it was always about our friends. Our friends are our chosen family, and the day was always going to be a celebration of them. Of course, that is what Saturday turned into as well. Even from a distance, we were completely enveloped in love from everyone we care about.
We finished the day eating pizza and drinking aperol spritz’s in the sun, socially distanced with our neighbours and friends. I have never felt more grateful in my life, and there was not a single twinge of sadness all day.
We will both cherish the photos that Philippa took forever. They perfectly capture how wacky and joy-filled the day was.
Waking up on Sunday morning, James and I both agreed that we feel slightly more married than we did before. And for now, we’re keeping our rings on!” Amy Johnson