A Scots bride has opened up about how she managed to pull of her dream Disney wedding in just six months - despite Covid nearly ruining everything.
Anita Young got engaged to her husband, Richard, in December 2020, and knew straight away that she wanted to plan the wedding of her dreams - something that was completely different to anything she had ever seen before.
The 25-year-old from Edinburgh took wedding dress inspiration from the 2015 version of Disney's Cinderella, and got the fashion designers behind The Housewives of Cheshire frocks to help make her vision come to life.
However, the Covid-19 pandemic threw a major spanner in the works of Anita's wedding planning, and a week before the ceremony, government restrictions meant the couple were forced to downsize from 200 people to 60.
The bride also made the last-minute decision to move her special day from Scotland to England due to the more relaxed lockdown measures in place at the time, and the venue décor she had in mind was also scuppered.
Speaking to Austen & Blake, Anita, an Instagram content creator, said: “I recreated Lily James' dress worn in the movie in white with a glitter fabric, a similar neckline and fabric all around the trim of my dress, made to look like I was walking in the clouds.
"My parents got my dress, my bridesmaid's dresses and my mum's outfits all bespoke made, designed by myself and brought to life by fashion designers Philp and Tony Armstrong. Philp has made clothes for The Housewives of Cheshire and celebrities in that area, and came down to dress me personally which made my day extra special.
"Even when we went to London for my hen do for three nights, I wore a different style custom dress each night, as I wanted each dress to be a statement!
“The planning process wasn’t easy, though. We ended up having our wedding in Harrogate, Yorkshire. I chose the DoubleTree by Hilton because they had space to accommodate a 200-person wedding, but we ended up having to downsize at the last minute anyway.
"It wasn't nice having to choose only 60 out of 200 family members and friends, but it had to be done. Those who were there ended up being immediate family members from each side.
“I may never have got my venue done as planned with a huge floor printed dance floor and hundreds of guests, but I enjoyed it all the same. What was important to me was Richard and I getting married."
Richard's proposal to Anita outside The Dome in Edinburgh - one of the capital's most famous landmarks - was also laced with a few bumps in the road, as he wasn't able to pop the question as easily as planned.
Anita explained: "We went out that evening for a meal at Chaophraya Thai restaurant, where Richard was originally going to surprise me and propose.
"But when he asked the man who worked there to take a photo of us, he said no because of Covid, and his chance to put the camera on and film it was ruined.
"Thinking fast, he suggested we get a nice Christmas photo at The Dome. Once we got there, he asked a man to take a photo of us. As we posed, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was magical.
The happy couple are now expecting their first baby in March 2023, but still reeling from their dream wedding. They added that their biggest piece of advice to anyone planning a wedding is to be prepared.
“On the actual day, Richard had a terrible hangover from the night before and felt poorly all morning, but he said that as soon as he saw me walking down the aisle, the poorliness left him completely.
"My heart was racing with emotions. I kept it together, but Richard got really emotional saying our vows. Marrying your soulmate is an overwhelming feeling.
"I would say, be organised but also enjoy every moment of planning. Don’t let it get the better of you because it’s the best time of your life and it’s all for one day that is about you and your fiancé living the rest of your life together.
"We're now expecting a baby boy, which is so overwhelming for me as I am one of eight girls and this is the first grandchild in my family and the first boy. It's all very exciting."
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