Double celebrations for happy couple who finally walk down aisle on joint birthdays as lockdown restrictions ease

A happy couple have finally made it down the aisle in front of friends and family in Long Buckby on their joint birthdays.
The happy couple are married at last.The happy couple are married at last.
The happy couple are married at last.

Lynda Lyon proposed to her beloved Marc Allibone on the leap year just before the coronavirus pandemic struck.

They are the first couple to marry at St Lawrence Church under new marriage laws, introduced last month.

The paper-based system has move entirely online. There is no longer a requirement to complete a paper-based formal register for marriage, and the legal marriage certificate is not issued at the time of marriage.

"We met at work," said Lynda.

"Marc and I started dating in October 2017."

The pair were smitten and it was clear a wedding was on the horizon.

"We share the same birthday - May 15 - and discussed marrying on our birthdays the following year," added Lynda.

"This was available, so we met with vicar and booked May 15, 2021, and we had 15 guests."

The couple missed out on an engagement party due to Covid restrictions.

Lynda said: "We didn’t move our wedding date, we just went with the flow. We were hoping for 30 guests, but we could only facilitate 15 which was hard work, but we managed it.

"My dad was ill in hospital so my best friend Hannah walked me down the aisle."

The couple agreed: "We had a perfect day despite everything going on."