A COUPLE who have had to postpone their wedding twice in four months because of Covid-19 restrictions are determined not to be foiled again – even without guests, writes Barry Knott.

Emma Wiltshire and her fiancée Justin Ward, who moved from Wellington to Hemyock last month, described the experience of putting off their wedding twice last year as ‘horrible’.

Emma said: “We’ve decided we’re going ahead with the wedding this May but have cancelled the reception. We’ve decided there’s no turning back this time even though it may be only close relatives attending. It’s been a nightmare.

“It is not just us who has been affected – it has had a knock-on affect on everyone. My uncle, for instance, was travelling over from the United States and had to cancel his flight.

“We started planning for the wedding at St Mark’s Church in Hemyock more than two years ago and wanted to get married last year.

“We had to call it off last May and we had to postpone it again in late September. The idea was to get married first and then move into our new home in Hemyock. Now we’ve had to do it the other way round.

“The new date is May 3 of this year, a Bank Holiday. We would have liked to have been married on a Saturday but that’s not possible – all Saturdays are out of the question. We have put so much into this. The time factor in arranging and calling off the wedding twice has been phenomenal.”

The reception was set to be held at the Hartnell Hotel, near Tiverton, but this has been cancelled. Instead they are planning a party later in the year.

Emma is general manager of WPA Health Insurance The Clinical Team while Justin is in the maintenance department at the new Hinkley Point station being built and has two children from a previous marriage.