A COUPLE who made the trip down the aisle just nine days before weddings were banned across the country said ‘I do’ in front of their nearest and dearest.

Elizabeth Martin, 31, a teacher, and Ryan Patterson, 24, a joiner at Fishwicks Ltd, tied the knot in a traditional ceremony surrounded by their closest friends and family.

The pair, who live in Grange, first met at their local pub, The Keg & Kitchen, whilst out with different groups of friends in 2015.

After three years of dating, the pair took their relationship to the next step whilst out on a visit to Windermere.

Mr Patterson prepared a picnic and popped the question to his wife-to-be after asking her son - and parents’ - permission.

For his stag do, Mr Patterson went to Krakow in Poland for a three-night stay alongside 15 of his closest friends.

Whilst Mrs Patterson went bowling and for dinner at Soul Bowl in Morecambe then onto Lancaster for drinks and hen party games.

The pair officially tied the knot just before the coronavirus restrictions were put in place surrounding weddings and other social events.

They said ‘I do’ at Cartmel Priory Church on March 14 in a traditional ceremony.

Mrs Patterson donned an ivory gown with a long train and embezzled bodice bought from Simple Koko in Carlisle.

Whilst the bridesmaids wore full length navy dress from Dorothy Perkins with fur cape and shoes from Debenhams.

The wedding day flowers were antique roses, a range of blue flowers in different shades and foliage including delphiniums, cornflower and gypsophila supplied by Grange Flower Service.

Mrs Patterson arrived at the church in a white Rolls Royce supplied by Dovecote Wedding Cars in Dalton.

The couple had their reception at The Netherwood Hotel alongside 70 guests in the day and a further 140 at night.

The couple had a four-tiered wedding cake, with a quilted ribbon and diamante pattern.

They enjoyed their first dance to Ed Sheeran’s perfect before dancing to music by local band. The Underdogs.

The pair said: “We thoroughly enjoyed every second but if we had to choose one of our favourite moments we would say our first dance with all our closest friends being there with us.”

The newlyweds were due to go on a ’Familymoon’ to Haven in the Primrose Valley with their families, with a view to booking a honeymoon for the summer.

All photography featured in the article is by Chris Bent and his wife Janet.