Couples have been in for a rough ride when organising weddings during the past 18 months, as changing Covid restrictions have often meant cancellations, postponements, and adjusting guest lists to cater for different numbers at the last moment.

One Newport couple who tied the knot last month were Daniel Hall and Stephanie Manfield, who were married at St Mary’s Church, Carisbrooke, on September 4.

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The couple met in early 2018 and by last year, Dan knew it was time to propose — but his plans were affected by the crazy times surrounding last year’s lockdowns.

They had gone to Andover to see friends and enjoy a short break from work.

Isle of Wight County Press: In the Manor gardens.

Steph and Dan in the gardens at Arreton Manor.  Picture by Robin Crossley Photographer.

They are both busy people, as Dan works at Design, Invent, Print! in Sandown, while Steph is a grill chef at the Medina Quay Beefeater in Newport.

Dan explained: “I had a proposal planned out during a week away on holiday between lockdowns last year, but then the restaurant was closed.

“After a meal somewhere else, I kept trying to get her to take a walk by the river but she refused and wanted to go home, so in the end I ended up proposing in our hotel room!”

She said yes and the couple started making plans for their wedding.

Steph grew up in Canada — she moved there with her family when she was six and she didn’t return to the UK until she was 18, when she came to live on the Island.

Hence Steph still has family in Canada and knew that the Covid crisis may make it difficult for her loved ones to attend the wedding.

Steph and Dan already knew that with the coronavirus crisis, many people have had to rearrange their wedding day — in some cases, more than once.

So they opted for a date in September 2021, hoping that the situation would calm down.

With family in both the UK and Canada, it was still hard to plan the guest list ahead of time.

Dan said: “On the day it was lovely to see people we haven’t seen for years, including members of the different sides of the family that hadn’t met each other until now.

“However, many of our guests unfortunately couldn’t make it due to quarantine restrictions.”

For the wedding, the bridal party wore red dresses,

Steph wore a white bridal gown with beaded bodice and a ruched panel at the top, with a full net drape and tiara, complete with a red and white bouquet.

Dan wore a grey suit with a red tie and a cream waistcoat, including duck cufflinks provided by his father-in-law.

After the wedding ceremony, they went on to have the reception at Arreton Manor, with its beautiful garden, which provided a backdrop for some beautiful pictures by photographer Robin Crossley.

The couple have plenty of people to thank for their support during the run up to the special day, including both sets of parents, who helped out not only financially, but also with support and advice as the day drew closer.

Dan and Steph would also like to thank Steph’s matron of honour, Jackie, her bridesmaids Emma and Tracey, and also the best man, David.

Dan said: “It was exhausting getting everything prepared for the big day but seeing everyone enjoy themselves made it all worth it.’

For their honeymoon, the couple had originally planned to go to Japan, but for the time being, they decided to go on a minimoon to Malta instead.

And as for the big trip to Japan, it might still happen.

Dan said: “We’d still like to go, but it’s not going to happen any time soon.

“I’m hoping once things settle down again, assuming they do, then we can start to think about it again.”

Are you just married and living on the Isle of Wight? If so, we would love to hear more! Simply click on the submissions box below to send us details and pictures.