Spending almost all of the lockdown experience separated with thousands of miles in between them, Richard and Salima truly deserved a break when it came to planning and celebrating their wedding day. After maneuvering their way through Boris’ confusion-fest of a ‘roadmap,’ several postponements and a lost suit, they finally said ‘I do.’ And man, was it worth it.

On a fresher than usual Spring day, I met the nervous couple and just six of their closest family members at Leeds Civic Hall for what was to be not only my first wedding after lockdown, but my most intimate yet powerful wedding yet. Wearing a perfectly-fitting lace Rime Arodaky jumpsuit, Salima crept behind her man who was waiting beneath a staggeringly beautiful blossom tree that seemed to be in full bloom just for them. Richard’s face as he first set eyes on his bride-to-be was literally a picture, and the short-but-sweet ceremony was nothing short of perfect.

The vast space of the almost-empty hall combined with the absence of missing loved ones, including Richard’s twin brother and Salima’s own Canadian family, only further cemented my strong belief that love will always win and every story deserves to be told.