When my fella proposed, my best friends had an unusual suggestion. We just couldn’t tell anyone. By Caroline Simpson, 54
‘I hope they
like me,’ he said.
‘They better had,’ I replied, laughing, ‘or it’s over for us!’
I was about to introduce him to Sharon and David, my best friends
of 14 years.
Although I’d first met them through someone I was seeing, we’d stayed close after the break-up.
We shared a love of rock music, motorbikes and camping holidays. Sharon and I were always chatting away on the phone.
So it was important to me that they approved of Allen.
But I wasn’t worried. Allen was friendly, laid-back, and loved motorbikes just as much as we did.
The conversation flowed over a few beers, and I could tell they liked him.
‘You seem really good together,’ Sharon told me when we had a moment alone.
It didn’t take
long before the four of us were hanging out regularly.
Sharon and David lived an hour and a half away from my home in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, but we’d get together for camping trips.
After my parents lent me their old caravan, we all swapped out our tents for caravans of our own!
We travelled up and down the country, everywhere from Newquay to Edinburgh, visiting crazy golf courses, playing cards and sharing some drinks around the
fire in the evenings.
After five and a half years together, Allen proposed
to me on Christmas Day.
Although we didn’t set a date, our families were over the moon, and Sharon and David celebrated with us on our next caravan holiday.
'When will it be my turn?'
‘When’s it going to be
my turn?’ Sharon asked, jokingly. ‘We’ve been together 14 years!’
‘It’s not the idea of marrying you that I don’t like,’ David replied. ‘I just don’t want a big fuss. If we could do it simply, I’d marry you tomorrow.’
‘What’s more important to you?’ I asked Sharon. ‘The marriage or the wedding?’
‘The marriage,’ she said.
‘So how about we elope?’ David suggested.
We chatted it over and someone mentioned Gretna Green, which is famous for its history of runaway weddings.
Then David had an idea.
‘If we’re going to elope,’
he said, ‘why don’t you two join us?’
I looked at Allen and he looked back at me.
I’d always hated being the centre of attention, so the idea of a big wedding had never really appealed to me.
‘Why not?’ I said. ‘Let’s do it!’
So our double wedding was planned for the following September.
We agreed we’d stay in Gretna Green for
a few days, then take
our caravans down to Whitby in North Yorkshire
for a week’s honeymoon.
And, in the style of all elopements, the four of
us decided to keep the wedding a secret.
I thought if my mum knew it was happening, she’d feel worse about missing it than if she just found out afterwards.
As for my son, Jamie, I knew he’d be relieved to skip the wedding chaos.
Meanwhile, Sharon and
I swapped notes on the dresses we’d picked out.
David was getting his way with a low-key ceremony,
but we all agreed to dress
up in full wedding glam
for the big day.
I picked up a beautiful dress for just £40 on Etsy.
‘It’s gorgeous,’ Sharon said, when I sent her a photo of me wearing it. ‘It’d look lovely with a bit of lace.’
‘I swear it had lace in the pictures,’ I replied.
That’s when I realised I’d put it on inside out!
Finally, the week of the wedding arrived.
‘When I come back, I’ll be
a different person!’
I told my workmates.
We arrived at the caravan site in Gretna Green the evening before our ceremony for our joint stag and hen night.
The next morning, the staff were really excited for our wedding.
‘It’s quite rare we get actual elopements these days,’ the registrar told us.
Even without any guests, I was still shaking with nerves before the ceremony in the old Blacksmith’s Shop.
First, David and Sharon acted as witnesses while Allen and I made our wedding vows and signed
our marriage certificates.
Then we swapped over and we did the same for them.
There was an awning set up outside for our first dance, and Allen and I took to the floor together to Nothing
Else Matters by Metallica.
Then the four of us headed to a nearby restaurant to celebrate with a buffet lunch and a bottle of Champagne.
That’s when we rang our families to tell them the news.
'Do you wish I'd told you?'
My son Jamie adored Allen, so he was just as chuffed as I’d hoped he would be.
When I broke the news to Mum, she swore in surprise.
‘Do you wish I’d told you first?’ I asked her.
‘No,’ she said. ‘I’d have
been sorry to miss it had
I known. Now I’m just over the moon for you both.’
The following morning,
us four newlyweds drove to Whitby for our honeymoon.
When we arrived, we
were greeted with a massive storm. Our caravan was shaking in the wind.
But we put on some
music and hunkered down for a night of cards, drinks and laughter.
Allen and I couldn’t have asked for anything more from our honeymoon.
Now, five years on, the
four of us still go away for our anniversary every year and crack open a bottle of Champagne to celebrate.
Getting married might feel grown up, but we’re still just a bunch of big kids at heart!