CASTLETOWN’S ancient Castle Rushen is the venue for an historic event this weekend when it becomes a wedding venue.
Tying the knot on Saturday afternoon are former Braddan Primary School and St Ninian’s High School pupil Amy Joughin, 31, from Braddan and Matthew Parr from Bury. The pair are travelling over from Bury in Greater Manchester where they now live, specially for the occasion.
The castle became one of a number of buildings around the island licensed for the conduct of marriage ceremonies as an alternative to a church wedding, but this is the first actual ceremony to take place there.
Amy’s sister Charlotte Muirhead said: ‘They decided to have the wedding at Castle Rushen because that was where they went on their first date when Amy brought Matthew over to visit the Isle of Man. It was one of the first places here they visited together so she really wanted to get married there.
‘So when they changed the law, which was last year I think, they applied to have it there.
‘They are quite excited about it.’
The wedding is to take place in the Presence Chamber, which is the one set up for the visiting public with the royal thrones inside.
After the ceremony is complete there will be canapes and drinks then the family and guests will move upstairs where they will occupy two rooms for the wedding meal.
Amy’s other sister Sarah Joughin said organising the meal had been something of a logistical challenge.
‘I’m glad I wasn’t doing it,’ she said.
‘Charlotte has used caterers but she also had to organise to have a cooker brought in to the castle for them to use. It’s taken a lot of planning by my sister.’
Because there are nearly 50 guests attending they will be divided for the meal between two rooms with the family members using the Lords’ Great Chamber.
‘It’s exciting and it will be interesting to see how it will all work out,’ she said.
As evening falls and the speeches are complete, the couple and guests will downsize to the nearby George Hotel.
The newly married couple will stay in the island for a few days before setting off on honeymoon to Vienna via London.
‘They have an overnight stay in London so they are hoping to eat at a restaurant there that was used in an episode of Downton Abbey,’ Sarah said. ‘Apparently it is all set up in Victorian style.’
Charlotte is to be maid of honour for her sister.
Sarah added: ‘I am a bride’s maid along with the groom’s sister Vicky and Amy’s friend Tamlyn.
‘We have some really nice outfits to wear for the wedding – but we have made a special request on all the invitations for tweed,’ she said.
The couple have been together for around 10 years after meeting at Manchester University where Amy studied dentistry. She is now a dentist and he is a lawyer.
Castle Rushen is said to be one of the finest preserved medieval castles in Europe and was built between the 13th and 16th centuries by successive rulers of the Isle of Man. Its origins date back even further to the Norse period.
