Couple has wedding blessed in a cemetery

Samantha Smyth, 25, and husband Paul Adams, 33, met in their local pub eight years ago and married in a traditional registry office with two witnesses in February. However the couple from Wisbech, Cambs., had really wanted a gothic wedding in their local graveyard – but realised it would mean their marriage was not legally recognised. [I wish it explained why it would not be a legal marriage] So they decided to fulfil their dream by having a blessing, eight months after their ''legal wedding'', in Wisbech General Cemetery. It was performed by a Spiritualist minister, as 40 family and friends gathered around the disused four acre site's ancient stone chapel.

Despite driving rain mother-of-three Samantha wore a white gown, flecked with strips of red material and completed her outfit with a black fur coat and black flowers in her hair. Her bridesmaids and daughter, Raveena, nine wore matching outfits while her son Kurt, six, wore and AC DC T-shirt [hahahaha] and six-month-old baby Nathan wore a sailor suit. Samantha and Paul, who have three children, live just 200 yards from the cemetery where they have walked their three dogs daily for the last two years. [Three kids by 25? These people have been busy.]

Samantha, who is from a family of Catholics, said friends thought she was mad when she told them she was having the £2000 wedding in a graveyard. She said: ''My dad, who is a hard-core Catholic didn't believe me when I told him but when I showed him the site – he just said to do whatever made me happy. ''We had a wonderful day and it was actually very peaceful and tranquil with all the graves and trees sweeping over the chapel.''


My photo of the haunting and overgrown Highgate Cemetery outside of London

Following the blessing the couple returned to their local pub [English people in a pub? NEVER!] where they cut their giant French Fancy wedding cake with a metre-long Scottish broad sword. Paul added: ''It's a kind of a strange place but it is a really pretty building and everybody really enjoyed the blessing.''

I would totally have my wedding in a cemetery! Not to make this week all about my Europe/UK trip, but Mr. Kay Banks and I visited 8 cemeteries during our trip and all of them were beautiful or strange in their own way. Cemeteries would make great wedding locations because they are always full of flowers, they are quiet, and they are usually well-maintained. We all know what happens when weddings take place in a public park.

-Kay