A black dress, a burger and a pint for Poole bride...and a wedding cake topped by two skulls!...

THE ever changing coronavirus restrictions meant Poole newlyweds Thea and David Watts had to change their wedding date twice.

But they were delighted when Poole registry office told them the only possible date left was Halloween - and the bride wore black to mark the occasion.

Thea, who wore a stunning black bridal gown and veil from Isobels Bridal & Groom in Poole, said:"This date couldn't have been more perfect for two Goth weirdos!," adding, "We're not Goths but have always been a bit alternative!"

In fact, the pair truly entered into the 'spirit' of the occasion with their Halloween- themed chocolate wedding cake which was topped by two skulls, including one in a top hat.

The happy couple got engaged on a weekend break in Lostwithiel, Cornwall in July 2019.

Thea said:"Its one of my most favourite places and the proposal was totally unexpected! We were on the way to the pub and he was messing about on the river bank. I was getting annoyed as I wanted a pint....so I went down to see what he was doing and then the surprise came.I honestly thought he wasn't bothered about marriage at all.He didn't go down on one knee, or even ask me really....just kind of popped the ring on my finger....perfect. I was over the moon."

They wanted to invite at least 250 guests to a big wedding but Covid-19 changed everything.

"The day after we got engaged we called the registrar. David suggested us getting married on 30th May 2020 (we met on 30th May 2017) .Within minutes it was all booked. Our friend runs Soho on the Quay in Poole, so we went to see him and booked that for the reception party. We were so excited that we were going to have the perfect day for us.It was never going to be a posh or fancy wedding, but there were going to be a lot of guests. Fast forward to March 2020. It was looking grim, so we decided to take control - cancel the wedding in May and bring it forward to March 28. We knew it wasn't going to happen in May, and we are both 'getting on' a bit, so decided to 'shot gun' it and party once the pandemic was over. Then Boris grounded us all just before we could get married."

So they married at Poole Guildhall on 31st October 2020 with 15 guests. Thea's daughters, Emilia, 10, and Eryn, 6, made up the bridal party. Sadly her parents couldn't attend as they were shielding.

The most stressful part of organising it was "Not knowing if it was going to happen! The run up to 31st was awful. Cases in the BCP area rising rapidly and whispers of a national lockdown loomed. It was awful."

They had to swap a honeymoon in Croatia for a short break in Brighton which were "The best three days, with the sun shining and a posh dinner at The Ivy."

The best memories of the wedding day were: "Walking out as husband and wife. Finally. Standing on the balcony, feeling so relieved. After that is a blur - lots of beers were consumed!"

Did they have a first dance? "We did manage it yes. We danced to our song, Sirens by Pearl Jam.

"We used A&D mobile bars for the wedding vehicle. A beautiful old VW camper. They decorated the van and put beer and Prosecco in there for us. I felt a million dollars .We went to Soho on the Quay for a post wedding burger, which was lush.We love it there. It was so relaxed and we had a lovely time, even with masks and the rules.Dave and I also escaped to be by ourselves for 20 minutes to have a pint in our local, The Lord Nelson."

Thea adds: "Although we feel incredibly lucky to have just squeezed in before lockdown, and had a lovely day, we were missing a lot of people. My parents could not attend as my Dad is too high risk. Most of our families and friends could not come. So we promise that once this is over - hopefully in August, there will be the biggest party ever!Roll on the vaccine and hugs!"

Thanks to:

  • Isobels Bridal & Groom, in Ashley Road, Poole for the stunning black bridal gown who were "wonderful".
  • Dave’s Mum Myra who made the cake "an incredible cake maker".
  • Dave’s sister Molly who "stood in as the emergency photographer! She did an amazing job".