A BRIDE and groom-to-be came up with a new way to celebrate their love after the lockdown scuppered their wedding plans.

Laura Bassingthwaighte, 34, and Dale Hubbard, 39, of New Park, Castle Hedingham, were disappointed when they learnt their wedding could not go ahead as planned.

But the innovative pair decided to publicly declare their love by live-streaming their “promise day”.

Along with their children Willow, three, and Herbie, who is 18-months-old, the couple hosted a wedding-themed celebration on the day their wedding was supposed to take place.

The couple hosted the event in their garden, streaming it live on Facebook, inviting some guests and having their children act as a page boy and flower girl.

Laura, who works as a drama therapist, said: “When we got the call from the register office to say we would not be able to go ahead with our big day, we thought of an alternative.

“We liked the idea of having a promise day, a day that would commemorate the day that would have been.

“We had a a few traditions, such as not seeing each other the night before. Dale slept in our summer house.

“We also wanted to wear our wedding clothes, but I did not want to wear my actual wedding dress.

“I wore my mum’s dress, which is 45-years-old this month.

“A friend dropped off a cake for us on the day and my next door neighbours were my florists and guests.

“My parents were the videographer and photographer and we live-streamed it on Facebook for all our family and friends to see.

“The ceremony used a traditional pagan hand fasting, binding our hands with a special cloth. Ours was my late grandmother’s scarf.”

The couple met in 2014 when Dale, who is a physiotherapist, was busking to get through his degree. Laura gave him £1 and the rest is history.

The couple said their promise day was wonderful.

Laura said: “The day was a magical intimate moment in time, one that we would not have got if the wedding day we had originally planned.

“I shared my story on social media and it went viral, sparking other people to consider a promise day too.”

They have now rebooked their wedding for June 19 next year.