Telford couple forced to cut guest list before tying the knot

Tightened Covid restrictions announced this week mean couples can now only have 15 guests.

Samantha Wisdom Adams and Chloe Reidy say they are absolutely determined to marry on October 2, even though it will mean their bridesmaid, flower girl and page boys will no longer be at the service.

The couple, from St Georges, set the date for their wedding more than a year ago and had already had to change their plans to bring the number of guests down to 30 in line with coronavirus rules, and then again to 20 for the register office.

But Tuesday's bombshell means the numbers will now have to be cut to just 15, which they said had come as a massive blow.

Sam, 23, said: "We have been together for about four years and when we set the date we decided that we would stick to that date, whatever happened.

"We drew up a guest list for 30 people but we were then told that we could only have 20 people at the register office in Wellington – 10 less than we thought we could have.

"Now we have got to 'uninvite' more people.

"Unfortunately we looked at our guests and took the decision that our lovely bridesmaid, flower girl and page boys wouldn't really enjoy sitting through the marriage service with masks on.

"We will still make sure that we get photos of them with us in their outfits and that they now that they are still very much part of our wedding.

"It is really said because we had said we wanted children to be part of the wedding."

She said that the commitment to each other was the most important part of the day.

"We have our dresses and of course have to wear masks with them," she said.

"I will be the one walking down the "aisle" with my dad and he will have to have a mask on as well. But when we say our vows to each other the masks will be off."

Sam and Chloe say they are determined to eventually have a big celebration, for all their family and friends, which they hope will be on their first wedding anniversary.