There were smiles and cheers and toasts with crémant on place Guillaume II on Thursday afternoon. While the covid-19 lockdown is slowly being eased, Janice Allgrove and Karl Horsburgh went through with their official wedding ceremony in the salle de marriage at the capital’s Bierger Center. The ceremony was officiated by city of Luxembourg alderman Maurice Bauer.

The couple, well-known in the international community, had started to plan their wedding at the start of the year. Having chosen a date, Janice’s 60th birthday, for the ceremony, they submitted the appropriate documentation in mid-February. Then lockdown happened.

“I phoned the Bierger Center in mid-April and they confirmed that marriages were going ahead,” Janice tells Delano. “But we were only allowed six guests plus ourselves.” They decided to go ahead with the ceremony, even if it meant adapting their original plans. Janice was having an outfit made for the celebrations by local fashion designer Eva Ferranti, but that could not be finished in time due to the lock down. “So, I had to search through my wardrobe for a dress to wear. I put diamantes and lace on my mask.” The couple also managed to get florist Klopp to deliver a small bouquet for Janice and a buttonhole for Karl.

Although the guest list was limited to family and a few close friends from Luxembourg on Thursday, Janice and Karl plan to invite those who couldn’t attend for a rematch on 7 May 2021. “We will take picture on the steps and go for a nice meal in a nearby restaurant, as was our original plan for this year. All being well that is,” says Janice.