Louise and Gary Hattingh, who met several years ago through friends of friends in Hereford, said 'I do' in the first post-lockdown wedding at St Paul's Church in Tupsley.

"We just wanted to get married the minute we could," said Louise, a paramedic working in Birmingham.

"When Boris Johnson announced it, I woke up to about 100 texts, all saying 'You can get married!'."

"We originally planned to get married at St Pauls and afterwards at Burton Court in Eardisley on June 6, which was of course cancelled," she said.

The couple were to have about 120 guests.

Being allowed 30 guests was a nice surprise, said Louise, 24, and Gary, 27, but they decided it would have been hard to choose, "so it was just my mum and Gary's sister and grandparents".

"We invited a few others afterwards to my aunty's house in Tupsley, but they had timed slots so there were never more than six people. And, because Gary's uncle is a catholic priest, we had another little blessing ceremony," said Louise.

Later, the new Mr and Mrs Hattingh, still in their wedding outfits, took a taxi to the Green Man in Fownhope.

"It was nice and intimate," said Gary. "We had the opportunity, which we wouldn't have had otherwise, to sit down and talk about the day.

"I was not too fussed about the whole party. I just wanted to show Louise how much I loved her by marrying her."

"It was exactly the same for me," said Louise, revealing that on the original wedding day, she arranged to have cup cakes sent, worldwide, to everyone on the guest list.

And next year, the big party will go ahead at Burton Court, following a blessing at St Paul's.