Stacey and Anthony enjoy a perfect ceremony, despite wedding day plans being cancelled

When Derker-based sweethearts of three years Stacey Arnold and Anthony Grady were informed that their eagerly-anticipated May 30 wedding day plans had to be cancelled, they were unsurprisingly fed up.

However, thanks to the kind-hearted and ingenious actions of Stacey's mum and dad Mark and Julie Smith, they are now blissfully pledged to one another after a 'Hand-fasting ceremony' was staged in the back garden!

Hand-fasting is a symbolic unity ritual in which a couple stand face to face as their hands are tied together - hence the phrase, tying the knot.

As couples' hands are bound, they can recite words that express their commitment to one another.

Julie said: "Like thousands of others, Stacey and Anthony were very sad at their wedding being cancelled.

"Our original idea when we found out was to order afternoon tea to be delivered to them, but as the time got closer and lockdown started to ease we did a bit of research and worked out how we could actually create a ceremony for them called a 'Hand-fast ceremony' in which they betrothed to each other and tied the knot.

"They can then legalise the marriage when they can actually go on to have their wedding day.

"My husband Mark built a huge post frame at the bottom of our garden and then put a tarpaulin on it and painted the setting.

"He built the stage setting from pallets and we put lighting in for added effect.

"I ordered four dresses for Stacey to choose from and clothes for the children so that they could wear something nice.

"I made all the bows and the ribbons for the hand tying and we made the garden as perfect as we could.

"We told family what we were planning on doing so that they could send cards and join us via Skype on the day.

"It probably took about two weeks in all to organise and sort.

"But it was so worth it when they both found out on the morning of what should have been their wedding day what we had planned.

"The day couldn't have been any more perfect and they both said they enjoyed it more than a church ceremony as it was very personal to them, so now they have had the best of both worlds."

Hand-fasting ceremonies date back over 2,000 years.

An ancient Celtic tradition, it was originally used to symbolise a betrothal, during which a druid priest would declare that the couple would be bound together.

This engagement would last a year, as a sort of 'trial marriage', after which you'd decide to opt in or opt out!

In later times, it was used in a marriage ceremony, in lieu of the presence of a priest.

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