It’s a truth universally acknowledged that planning a wedding is a faff. But it’s made a lot easier when the happy couple shares a common passion, and in the case of Laura Dale and Jane Magnet, that passion is trains.
So naturally, the couple got married on one.
The rail-mad brides enjoyed a “dream come true” wedding as they tied the knot on a Avanti West Coast train. The Surrey locals were selected out of more than 150 couples who entered a competition to win a wedding on an Avanti West Coast service.
Dale and Magnet had hoped to get married nearly two years ago but were delayed by a combination of the coronavirus pandemic, finances and getting gender recognition certificates.
When their special day finally arrived on Tuesday, they were given a champagne reception at London Euston before boarding a Pendolino carriage decorated with flowers.
The pair walked down the aisle and were wed by Avanti West Coast train manager and ex-clergyman Peter Davis.
Joining them were 18 guests, including Dale’s two sisters, who she had not seen since the pandemic began.
They enjoyed a wedding breakfast, before the couple cut their train-themed wedding cake ahead of speeches given by friends and family.
Dale, 29, said: “As a huge train fan, today has been a dream come true, having Jane and our friends and family with us as we celebrated our wedding at high speed.
“Trains are a huge part of my life. The first time Jane and I met in person, we travelled on the West Coast Main Line to a video game convention in Telford, and we often travel onboard with friends to Birmingham Comic Con.
“Jane used to travel to Birmingham New Street to see her nan, so this route has a real place in her heart, and today will forever take us to our happy place as we think back to the ceremony.
“We have had to postpone planning our wedding due to the pandemic, finances and marriage logistics. And this followed years of working through logistics to get gender recognition certificates, a very slow and stressful process, so we could both be Wife and Wife on our special day.”
Avanti West Coast’s executive director of customer experience, Natasha Grice, added: “It’s been a tough 18 months for everyone, including married couples-to-be.
“We wanted to put smiles back on people’s faces and what better way to do that than by helping one lucky couple finally celebrate their special day and reuniting them with loved ones they haven’t seen since before the pandemic?
“Having Laura and Jane, two huge train fans, celebrate their dream wedding onboard an Avanti West Coast Pendolino was incredibly exciting and heart-warming.
“This wedding has been a highlight for our team and will be fondly remembered for years to come.”
Congrats to the newlyweds.