Emma: Thank you all for coming, sharing today with all of our favourite people has been really important to us, so we thought that we’d also like to share the story of how this love began.
mma: We first met exactly 6 years and 11 months ago, on the 2nd September 2007, outside Bar-de-muse in Greenwich. I was travelling home after a party and was a bit tipsy, so it was not much of a surprise that I ended up giving my number to a strange man.
But a week later, when we were due to meet up on our first date I got cold feet and decided that I hated men. Despite telling Sam that I had got back with an ex-boyfriend, he used his excellent lie-detecting skills, called my bluff, and persuaded me to come out. I text Leonie to let her know where I was going, just in case. I think my text read something like: “Hi Sheridan, I’m just letting you know that I’m going on a date in Greenwich with some guy. In the event that I disappear, that’s where they should start looking for my body.”
Emma: Sam seemed nice, but would not stop talking about animals, which was getting tiresome, so I excused myself. In the loo I text Leonie again to let her know that I was okay and that I didn’t think they’d need to send out a search party for me after all.
Emma: I expect many people doubted that we’d last through the long distance, but it was clearly meant to be.
Emma: On my return from uni I found that Sam had developed some habits that needed ironing out! I also found a diamond ring that I wanted, and I let him know about it repeatedly.
Emma: And now we’re here today celebrating with all our favourite people.
Emma: We’d also like to thank Sam’s mum Lynn for allowing us to be together by putting up with us in her house for so long – we’ll be out of your hair soon I promise! I know mother-in-laws are meant to be awful, so I’m trying to keep quiet about how brilliant she is in case they take her away from me. And we’d also like to take this opportunity to remember those of us who are not here: Firstly, my grandmother, Eileen, who could not be here today. Secondly, our grandfathers who have sadly passed away. And very importantly, Sam’s father, Nick. It is a travesty that he is not here to see his son get married. So I would like you all to raise your glasses – to Nick.