A CHANCE meeting in a nightclub led to a couple falling ‘madly in love’ – and now they have tied the knot after having to postpone their original date due to the pandemic.

Ashley Fairless, 30, met Stephanie Fairless, 23, at at the Phoenix night club in Hexham on a Saturday night. And Stephanie recalls: “We started talking from there and have been mad about each other ever since.”

Ashley is a machine operator at Fourstones paper mill while Stephanie is a cook for a day centre with learning disabilities. The pair were able to buy their first home together in Haltwhistle after living together in Sparty Lea initially. But they then moved into Ashley’s family farm to save for their mortgage.

Ashley decided to take a leap of faith and ask Stephanie to marry him on August 3, 2018 when he took her away for her 21st birthday.

“Ashley took me away for my 21st birthday to the Lake District and on the way home, in the pouring rain, we stopped off at Castlerigg Stone Circle and he asked me to close my eyes and make a wish.

“I opened my eyes and he was down on one knee and asked me to marry him. This was also while I was 16 weeks pregnant with our son Arlo-Ashley who is now two and will be three in January.”

The excited couple began to plan the wedding and booked it for June 20, 2020 but had to change the date due to Covid-19.

They said: “We had planned and booked everything for our big day and had to move them over to our new day – luckily everything was able to move.”

The couple were still able to enjoy a stag and hen do by joining both parties together a week before the wedding at The Brew bar in Haltwhistle.

On their actual wedding day, the couple were happy that they were surrounded by friends and family but did keep to the guidelines of Covid restrictions.

Stephanie said: “My favourite part of the day was seeing how happy everyone was and our families joining. It was nice to have a day with family and friends as we had waited a long time for it to happen.

“We kept safe and stuck to rules.”

The couple had a beautiful church wedding at St Cuthbert’s in Allendale – Ashley’s home town.

Stephanie got her dress from Brides Dream in Walkergate back in 2019 and was a fitted dress with a low back and a long trail. She wore a veil from the Wedding Dress Company in Corbridge.

Stephanie’s maid of honour was Lauren Caisley and bridesmaids were Keri, Charlotte and Sophie, along with two flower girls, the couple’s nieces Areigh and Marnie.

The groom and his party hired their navy suits from Blades in Corbridge. Ashley’s best man was his brother Kieran Fairless and his ushers were Sean, Stevie, Jonny A, Bruce, Andy and Jonny S. Page boys were their son Arlo-Ashley and nephews Kaiden and Cameron.

A reception followed in a big open indoor/outdoor marquee on Ashley’s parents’ family farm.

The couple’s first dance was was to James Arthur’s Falling Like The Stars, sang by wedding singer Charlie Whyte.

Stephanie was also glad that a special member of Ashley’s family was able to attend the wedding.

“Ashley’s grandad, Lloyd, was looking forward to the wedding and he was determined that he was staying all day, which he did and he had a lovely day,” she said. “He loved the idea that it was on the family farm as he was a farmer all his life. He sadly passed away on August 1 so we are so pleased our wedding could go ahead for the memories and pictures we got.”

After the wedding, when restrictions started to ease, the couple decided to have their own separate stag and hen do. Stephanie went to Manchester in August for two nights and Ashley went to York for a night in September.

Cake: This was a two-tier cake made by Bakes by Ashley from Acomb

Flowers: These were supplied by Muscarii Events.

Photographer: Carn Patrick Photography

Videographer: Jonny Pape of Haltwhistle