With hand sanitisers at the entrance to the church, guests on every other pew and a rehearsal only possible via Face Time, it was a wedding which the happy couple would not have planned.
But Lucy Johnston, 25, and her groom James Bone, 28, were delighted just to be able to get married, just four days after getting the the official go-ahead.
They married in front of 27 guests in the pretty St Michael and All Angels Church in the picturesque hamlet of Ingram in the Northumberland National Park.
The bride’s father Steven was able to walk her down the aisle of the 12th Century church as he had been in her social bubble beforehand.
Retired vicar Rev Marion Penfold was given permission to marry the couple who live in Fawdon in the next valley.
There were cheers from the family and congregation after Mr Bone, a farmer, was officially allowed to kiss his new wife, who is in agricultural sales.
Before the wedding, Lucy said how they had always pinned their hopes on a July 4 wedding date and made all the arrangements in the hope the rules would be relaxed in time.
Their fears mounted as the date got closer, and by Tuesday they thought their chance had gone, until the official guidance changed.
She said: “On the Tuesday we woke up, assumed we would have to call it all off, then we heard it could go ahead and it really changed our spirits.”
Before the service, she said was pleased her father could give her away, explaining: “It’s such a relief as it will be a nerve-racking time.”
With such a short time to prepare and the church still closed in the run-up, the rehearsal was carried out via FaceTime.
And social distancing meant only every other pew could be taken up, with the vicar staying slightly further away from the couple during the service.
For the Rev Marion Penfold, it was a privilege to be able to conduct the wedding ceremony for such a happy young couple, she said.
And she praised their patient love during the wedding service.
“I had told Lucy: ‘I’m afraid I don’t think the wedding can go ahead’,” she said afterwards.
“Then we thought they could only have five in the church, so there wouldn’t really be any family there.
“There were a few tears on either end of the phone.
“Then as soon as we heard the church could open, it was like there was a hotline to Lucy with all the calls.
“It has come to today and it has been a privilege to be able to do this.
“It has been such a whirlwind, it has been really worth it."
Guests stopped for hand sanitiser as they entered the church, and there were no hymns due to a ban on singing in churches.
The vicar said she also regretted not being able to hug the families, having known some of them for years.
She praised all the guests for abiding by the rules.
Ms Penfold joked: “It’s people I have known for years so I could tell them off if they weren’t adhering to the rules.”
The couple will hold a big celebration with a blessing next year so all their family and friends can join them.
