‘I will love you until the rum runs out’
Louise Young, 64, lives on a boat in a marina on the River Stort, Hertfordshire, with her husband, Garry, 60, an artist.
We were married officially at Hertford Register Office in February where I wore a long, black-and-white dress. Garry, however, wore a long, swashbuckling pirate coat and a leather tricorn hat!
And he wore the same regalia with little bottles of rum ‘for emergency rations’ for our big, pirate-themed blessing celebration in April. This time we had a ceremony in the open air in a field in sight of the marina where we live.
Tales about pirates have always fired my imagination from when I was a little girl. I loved reading about Long John Silver, the sea and the coves, and I adore all the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Garry is just as pirate-mad as I am, but he’s more interested in their history. He thinks they have a bad reputation that they don’t deserve.
YO-HO-HO
Our celebrant Amanda Wheal wore a white blouse with frilly bits, and, in front of her, Garry and I promised each other, ‘I will love
you until the rum runs out.’
We had 100 pirate guests. Some wore eyepatches, one friend came as the ship’s cat and chased after her husband, who was dressed as a mouse. Another shoved a long stick down his sweater, pretending to have a wooden leg, and had a stuffed red-and-blue parrot perched on his shoulder.
‘X’ MARKS THE SPOT
My bridal gown was a long skirt with the pattern of a treasure map, hoicked up at the front, with a corset displaying some cleavage. My daughter, Megan, 24, was my maid of honour and she was dressed in a similar style of skirt but in brown, as was my bridesmaid, my best friend, Jane, 50, who wore a blue skirt.
Like all good pirates, we downed pints of rum and we caroused with a sea shanty to the backdrop of a ship’s mast and wheel. Instead of a traditional wedding cake, we had cheese with a mini pirate ship on top being devoured by an octopus. Our pirate wedding day was such good fun. Everybody was enjoying themselves.
As for Garry and me, we’ll be steering ahead steadily as we walk the plank of life!
✣ For info, visit Amanda’s Beautiful Ceremonies at amandasceremonies.com