We love getting to know our real brides. Recently we caught up with beautiful Ronald Joyce Bride Kay who told us all about her wedding. A spiritual connection from the very beginning!
Kay, tell us all about how you met Kev and knew he was the one for you…
I started up my own business when my previous marriage broke down. I wanted to be my own boss so that I could take my little girl Mollie to and from school. After living abroad for a while, we returned to the UK and chose to settle in Lincoln. My aim on our return was to meet new people and make business connections so I tried out different business events. Kev and I met at a networking meeting 11 years ago. He came straight over to me as I walked through the door, with a big smile and he had his hand out stretched saying "Hi my name is Kevin and my business is Lovett Electrical, come with me to get a coffee and breakfast" All through the meeting I could feel his eyes burning into me, every time I looked up, he'd give me the biggest smile. I kept thinking; Why does that guy keep looking at me!
We became friends easily and spent many evenings over the years in my kitchen working alongside each other. He would be doing invoices, quotes or designs, and I would be studying. He was a bit of a serial dater and I was still very much a mess from my marriage breakdown, so we were like brother and sister without the squabbles!
A while later we went on a trip to Amsterdam as mates, but as it happens came home as more than friends. We were shocked, but our friends certainly were not and said about time - they could see something we couldn't!
We went to Hill Holt Woods for breakfast one Sunday which is a woodland area with a café which also holds weddings and events. As we sat down I said if we ever did get married, then this is where it would be, just as I sent it a massive dragonfly landed on Kev’s head, a bumblebee landed on his shoulder and a butterfly landed on his back, all in a triangle! He said well that's a sign if ever I saw one! Just then a robin flew right by us, this is a spirit animal often associated with lost loved ones and that sealed the deal for us, rather than a traditional proposal.
Two peacocks reside at the woods who had lost their tail feathers, so we asked the staff when they grew back and were told in the Spring, so we chose April the beginning of spring for our nuptials. I love Angel numbers and asked Kev if any were significant to him and with his mum’s birthday being the 25th we quickly picked our date.
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Everything was so easy to plan and fell into place perfectly... Until covid19. I picked up my wedding dress and Mollie's bridesmaid dress the day the shops all closed. When the 25th came and weddings were not allowed to take place the 2 of us took a picnic to the field at the top of our garden, said our vows, put on our rings as we drank red wine. I said, all we need now is a baby Bambi to appear, and within seconds one actually did! Out of nowhere just stood looking at us before turning and walking away. A deer being a very spiritual animal symbolises luck, the end of hardship and gentleness.
Tell us all about the dress and shopping experience…
Well, I started running to lose weight over lockdown and my neighbour said she thought I would fit into her old wedding dress and said I could happily borrow it. For me this was going to be my wedding dress because I thought I was going to be too mortified at not being able to squeeze into any nice dresses in a store. Also as this was to be my second wedding I didn't feel I deserved to have a proper wedding dress. But I was persuaded to at least go and have a look as lockdown eased.
My mum was in hospital and not allowed any visitors, so to cheer her up, I went to try on dresses with Mollie and my neighbour and mum on video call.
I'm 5”1 and still quite curvy, so we were in hysterics at the sight of me in some of the gowns, but when I put on 'The one' we all cried. Mollie took a picture from the back and I couldn't believe I had a waist again. The dress made me feel unbelievably happy, everyone said the dress was made for me and I looked regal. The dress is called Imogine from the Victoria Jayne Collection by Ronald Joyce – style number 18316. I purchased it Belle & Bouquet at Wellingore Hall in Lincolnshire.
A lovely touch was that our friend made our wedding invitations with perfect pencil sketches of a dragonfly, bumblebee, butterfly and robin. They were also used on our order of service.
We then had our proper special postponed day on 29th August with minimal guests and the whole thing live streamed to everyone else. The highlights of our day was when Mollie and I were in fits of giggles at the alter, Kev’s best man said amen halfway through the lord’s prayer and then my veil blew off into Kev’s head - our amazing photographer Stuart Wilde caught these special moments on camera! Later on in the day Mollie told Kev that she loved him for the first time and I could not have been happier.
My top tips for brides to be is that the day went so fast as everyone tells you, so three separate times Kev and I stepped away from everyone to have some time together and I’m so glad we did. We enjoyed our day, our way, in our garden.
Photography by Stuart Wilde Photography and Stuart Wilde’s Instagram