Olly and Joy’s Humanist Wedding at Orocco Pier

People often ask me what makes one wedding different from another? Well, what I remember most about Joy and Olly’s wedding was the pause for contemplation, just before they exchanged their vows. Rather than the usual one minute’s silence, all I could hear was sniffing. First it was one person, then it was two. They were joined by another and yet another, until by the time the minute had elapsed, the sound of sobbing was so overwhelming I couldn’t help saying, “Will you no stop yer greetin’?”


Perhaps the best way to give you a sense of what I loved about them is just to let you see some of the things they wrote in their ceremony.

Joy and Graham met eleven years ago. Their first encounter was no Mills and Boons but Joy and Graham both remember their confrontation fondly – including all the swear words… “Joy and Graham – The Early Years” were not so much of a series of highs and lows but more a series of Jeremy Kyle, but in the end love conquered all and here we are today.


Graham & Joywanted to tell their guests some of the things that made them not just fall in love, but decide that they wanted to marry, and spend the rest of their lives together. This is what Joy wrote
I’m so lucky to have found you.
Once in a lifetime, you find someone who touches not only your heart, but also your soul.
Once in a lifetime, you discover someone who stands beside you, not over you.
Once in a lifetime, you find someone who loves you for who you are and not who you could be
Once in a lifetime, if you’re lucky,
You find someone as I have found you.
I love his patience with me when I have very little and how he manages to keep calm and count to ten (well most of the time)
They say behind every great man is a good woman, well behind me is a great Olly’.

And Graham said
I love when I ask you if you are ready and you always say yes, when clearly you aren’t.
I love when I see you smile. That lets me know everything’s great and I’ve not done nothing wrong.
I love when I say NO to Joy. She clearly doesn’t understand the meaning of the word and always gets round it with a flutter of her eyelashes.
 I wouldn’t change one thing in life, not now, not ever. You don’t know what’s round the corner – I do, more happy years, more Joy.

Olly wrote me a lovely note which he sent along with these photos.

It was a fantastic day, 
Couldn’t be better I say, 
Mr & Mrs Allsopp were at another wedding on the first of May
They had a humanist ceremony
It was good, but between me and you,
Different class compared to yourself!


Keep up the fantastic work, and if i know anyone else that is getting dragged down the aisle, I will certainly be passing on your details. 

Thanks Joy and Olly – it was great fun working with you and I wish you every happiness in the years to come!

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