The wedding plans for the farmer couple Amy Johnson and John Hodgson had to be revised due to the coronavirus lockdown, but the wedding took place on the original date.
Amy and John met one evening in Carlisle in July 2017 and John proposed in August 2019. He took a day off and took Amy with him for the day in the lakes. A nice lunch was followed by a walk in the Cumbrian rain to Bowder Stone and when they got up there John asked Amy if she would marry him.
The planned stag and hen parties had to be canceled due to the restrictions of Covid 19. Close friends, however, organized a few drinks for Amy in a close friend’s garden and the deer partied outside on the farm.
The wedding service was held at Bowness on Solway Church with a rustic theme and a touch of pink. Since no hymns were allowed, there were additional readings which were beautifully read by the groom’s uncle Thomas, the groom’s brother Joe, and the bride’s friend Amy Raven. The organist played Fields of Gold when signing the register.
The bride wore an ivory tulle ball gown with a lace top by White Rose, complemented by a soft tulle veil and sparkling tiara from Blush Bridal, Whitehaven, and her hair was done by the couple’s friend, Ann-Marie Grainger.
John’s best man was school friend John Dixon and his brothers Joe and Thomas Hodgson were doormen along with close friends Ashley Pigg and William Harrison.
The bride’s close friend’s sons were page boys and wore ties to match the grown-ups, as well as black and white suspenders with blue or yellow rubber boots to do justice to the farming theme. They also had buttonholes handmade from I Heart Buttons.
Unfortunately, the maid of honor Kelly McCoullough could not attend the wedding because she could not come from Australia, but played an active role in the celebrations with many zoom calls and photos.
Amy Raven, Emma Brough, Amie Millican, Claire Brough, Naomi Wake, Lucy Thomas and Katie Thelkeld were the bride’s best birds and the color matched their outfits. The flower girls were the daughters of the bride’s close friends and wore ivory dresses from the Flower Girl Boutique UK with matching shoes and socks, as well as personalized wands, also made by I Heart Buttons.
The best birds and maids of honor received bracelets from Joma Jewelery, and the best man and ushers received personalized pen knives from Lakeland Laser Creations.
The wedding rings were from Jopsons, Carlisle, and the bride wore pearl earrings from her close friend Emma Brough when she borrowed something. The flowers in the church were arranged by the couple’s friends, Christina Storey and Heather Pritchard, who then brought them back to the farm for reception. Emma Brough and Amy Raven also filled decanters with garden flowers to decorate the shed on the farm.
Transport was a 1958 Rolls Royce Cloud from Cumbria Classic Wedding Cars.
The planned reception could not continue, but Liz from Liz’s Country Kitchen provided canapés and sodas along with a special cocktail from bride’s friend Lucy Thomas for a small gathering outside in the couple’s yard. The table decorations were milk bottles filled with garden flowers and local barley and wheat that had been used in the church with a ribbon from VV Rouleaux, Wigton.
The cake was supplied by Donna at Dream Cakes by Donna and was a carrot and chocolate two-tier cake topped with cows and sheep. The pair consisted of frosting for the top and a new Holland tractor. The female guests took milk bottles with garden flowers home as favors.
The couple enjoyed a Cumbrian honeymoon in Grange-over-Sands. The wedding photographer was Jill at Harrington.
The bride’s brother and wife made the long journey from Nottingham to worship
The bride is the daughter of Anthony and Susan Johnson of Nether Welton and the groom is the son of Allen and Sarah Hodgson, Drumburgh.
