'Love in the time of Coronavirus' is how the lovely Sophie addressed her wedding, to her family and friends that were only virtually present at their celebration.

Today, Friday 20th March 2020, here in London like everyone else in the world we are facing with the unprecedented experience of COVID19 pandemic.

So, I was very surprised when a day before their wedding a number starting with 0031, clearly not an English one, was trying to reach me on my mobile. I nearly ignore the call. Thinking that yet again it was some desperate marketing company trying their luck. Curiosity got the best of me and I answered, it was Michael, best known as Mick asking me if I was free to photograph their wedding the following day, abruptly put forward due to the closing of all public places for the risk posed by the Coronavirus. The entire country was going on lockdown.

I was perplexed at first. Is this a joke? Can someone really want to get married when everything is closing down?

Supermarket shelves are empty, streets are deserted, school are closed, people are locked in their houses and everybody is advised to stay indoors.

I was genuinely in disbelief!

But then Mick explained, that her lovely bride Sophie and him were left with no choice but to rush their wedding as the government announced a three month closure of all public places, and social distancing was going to be a reality.

THE WEDDING VENUE

Hotel du Vin, formerly known as Cannizaro House, is only 12 minutes by bike from my house, so Citymapper tells me.

A charming local wedding venue built in the 18th century, surrounded by the most beautiful park with rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas.

Sophie and Michael decided to hold their wedding at this venue because of its sophisticated beauty, and it was only walking distance from their home in Wimbledon village.

Attending their wedding were only Monique, the maid of honour and her husband, with Sophie’s children, Mattia and Tallulah, making this a six people wedding.

The atmosphere was quite surreal with more screens of iPhones and iPads than real people.

Because of the emergency social distancing situation, no friends or family were allowed to travel to attend the event.

Despite the reduced number of people the space didn’t feel empty, the couple’s energy filled the room with real joy. The wedding flowers by the remarkable Gardenia of London in Wimbledon Village added to the atmosphere!

It was indeed a very uplifting and emotional wedding so much so that even the registrar at one point couldn’t stop crying.

In a very weird way this pandemic is making us all, a better and kinder version of ourselves. There is a very real and much stronger sense of community.

Thank you Sophie and Mick for reaching out and asking me to be there to photograph your lovely and very unique wedding.