A COUPLE forced to postpone their big day due to the coronavirus lockdown held a DIY “wedding” – and followed it up with a pretend honeymoon.

Sophie Alexander and fiancé Simon Fry, from Hastings, should have become newlyweds last month but their ceremony was cancelled.

On Saturday, Covid-19 restrictions eased and couples were allowed to get married in front of guests for the first time since March.

But Sophie and Simon were a week too late – they were due to get married on June 27.

Instead, they staged a small unofficial wedding and enjoyed a “phoneymoon” at a Sussex campsite.

After scrambling to reorganise everything for next March, from the venue to the caterers and photographer, they settled on a more modest version of their plans with their 14-month-old daughter Dorothy as the only guest.

Sophie, who works for the RSPCA, said: “We had been planning it for two years and held on as long as we could before realising we would definitely have to cancel at the end of May.

“Obviously it was a massive disappointment but lots of people have made much bigger sacrifices.”

They were due to get married at the 600-year-old Pilgrim’s Rest next to Battle Abbey and planned to have their photos taken against the dramatic Norman backdrop.

On the day, they dressed up and went to the grounds of the Tudor banqueting hall for a secret ceremony.

Sophie said: “I made him a buttonhole and myself a lavender crown. We had a cream tea picnic in the garden of the venue and each said a little speech.

“We wore our wedding rings just for the weekend. It actually felt really special.”

They stuck with their original honeymoon plans for a weekend at Dernwood Farm campsite in Chiddingly.

They were greeted with a glass of fizz and said they had a wonderful time.

Simon said: “Dorothy has been loving being able to run freely and explore as she has taken her first precarious steps in lockdown.”