STORMY weather failed to deter one lovestruck couple from walking down the aisle.

Heather Gibbons, 26, who works for a construction company and Charlie Barker, 29, who owns a building company, first locked eyes in a nightclub eight years ago.

The couple immediately hit it off and moved in together a year later.

The now Mrs Barker said: "We just got along straight away.

"He was really funny and ambitious which I liked about him.

"I had a feeling quite early on that it would be serious."

The pair got engaged in the south of France during a holiday three years ago.

Mrs Barker said: "We went to a restaurant by the sea and he proposed over dinner - it was a complete surprise.

"We were looking around for ages for venues and we both wanted something quite unique.

"We went on a family holiday to the Lakes and fell in love with the place.

"As soon as we found the Inn on the Lake, we knew it was perfect."

The couple originally booked their wedding for May but were forced to postpone it to December due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mrs Barker said: "I had said to him before I always wanted a winter wedding so I got my way in the end!

"We'd originally planned for around 85 people to come then moved it down to 30 when the rules changed.

"Then we cut it down to 15 when the rules changed again which was quite hard.

"But everyone ended up having a great time - we set up a Zoom to speak to all the people who couldn't be there.

"Although we were in a pandemic, we didn't feel like it affected things.

"It felt the same as any other wedding."

The couple said 'I do' at the Inn on the Lake in Glenridding on December 13.

"There was a storm throughout the whole day but we just got on with it," Mrs Barker said.

"It was quite small and intimate but everyone managed to talk to everyone there which was nice.

"It was a really chilled atmosphere and everyone was in a lovely mood.

"We had the ceremony, then a drinks reception, afternoon tea and a sit down meal followed by speeches and our first dance in the evening.

"It was nice because it didn't feel like their was really big gaps in the day.

"I preferred a smaller wedding, we got to speak to everyone and weren't being rushed around.

"It was a really chilled day and we really enjoyed ourselves."

The newlyweds had originally planned to travel to the Maldives for their honeymoon, however, they opted for a five-day Lakes staycation instead.