Date published: 2025-09-15 | Category: Delivering for local residents, Leisure, Tourism and Heritage
A couple from Hampshire have returned to Bath to reaffirm their love against a splendiferous backdrop of bonnets, breeches and flowing Regency gowns after winning Bath & North East Somerset Council’s wedding ceremony competition – one year after they married in the city with the same registrar and exactly one year after their first date.
Lydia and Joe tied the knot at Bath’s Guildhall on September 1, 2024 and were so keen to return to the city that marked the beginning of their marital journey, that they entered the competition to win a Regency ceremony in Parade Gardens after the Jane Austen annual parade last Saturday (September 13).
The competition asked entrants to name the title of their love story if it were a novel. Lydia and Joe’s winning entry, selected by the council’s libraries team, was ‘Poise and Pandemonium: The Unlikely Triumph of Miss Bumble’.
The couple says this reflects Joe’s poised character, Lydia’s more clumsy nature - which was revealed on their first date - and a nod to the dating app that brought them together.
Lydia and Joe’s first date was on September 13, 2019 after they met on Bumble, exactly six years to the day of their vow renewal at the iconic bandstand in Parade Gardens as many Jane Austen Festival fans looked on – with everyone in full Regency attire including the couple and the council’s registrars.
Lydia and Joe said: "We're excited to celebrate our anniversary in this unique, Austen-inspired ceremony in Bath. We fell in love with the city and its rich Roman and Regency history while dating and are looking forward to taking a step back in time while celebrating our future as a couple, against the backdrop of the famous Jane Austen festival."
Councillor Manda Rigby, Cabinet Member for Communications & Community, said: “It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a couple in possession of a great love story deserves more than one occasion to celebrate their commitment. We’re honoured that Lydia and Joe wanted to enjoy not just one, but two, very special ceremonies with our fantastic registrars in our stunning heritage city. This was a unique opportunity for them to reaffirm their love to each other as part of an internationally renowned event and we wish them every happiness throughout the rest of their lives.”
Bath & North East Somerset Council offers a range of exciting and historic venues for a wedding ceremony or renewal, all year round. Visit the marriages and civil partnerships web page and the Bath's Historic Venues website for inspiration.
Photo credit: Betty Bhandari photography.