Two railroad enthusiasts were treated to their “dream wedding” aboard a West Coast Main Line after winning a competition to tie the knot on board.
Video game journalist Laura Kate Dale married podcaster Jane Magnet on Tuesday at 125 mph on the 10:59 service from London Euston to Birmingham New Street.
Eighteen guests were invited to the all-inclusive celebration in the “Ehewagen”, during which the couple celebrated for hours with friends and family.
Contest winners got married on board the Avanti West Coast Marriage Carriage with friends and family (Photo: Joe Pepler / PinPep)
Avanti West Coast pulled out all the stops for the occasion, creating bespoke headrests, a train-themed wedding cake and a photo album to commemorate the occasion – while Tannoy announcements marked their big day.
Mrs. Dale, 29, related I: “I have an autism spectrum and have always been obsessed with trains. It’s a bit of an autism stereotype but since childhood I’ve been obsessed with watching trains go by and driving trains, I play train simulator video games.
“Having a wedding on a train is not an easy thing to choose and I saw it and was very excited.”
The bride and groom, who got to know each other in an internet gaming forum and connected via “very silly jokes, video games and cat pictures”, after struggling with financial uncertainties and the pandemic, planned a civil wedding before they discovered the Avanti competition.
Over 150 couples whose wedding plans were delayed by the pandemic entered the competition (Photo: Joe Pepler / PinPep)
The couple are both transgender and engaged for three years – with added barriers to their wedding as they refused to marry without legal gender recognition.
Ms. Dale said, “As trans people, in order to marry as a wife and wife, we had to have gender recognition certificates, which is a lengthy bureaucratic process that is overly complicated and unnecessary.
“We held back from getting married for a while because we really hoped that the Gender Recognition Act reform would go through in a meaningful way, but when it became clear we weren’t getting any significant changes, we went through the system like this as it currently exists.
“It’s been a year and a half of stressful paperwork, waiting, and unnecessary inconvenience, but we finally made it earlier this year.
“There were a lot of logistical hurdles, so with a lot of the things we had on our plate, it really helped to have a wedding at all costs in front of us shortly after the lockdown was over.”
With the couple stuck indoors during much of the pandemic, the wedding marked the first time they were reunited with many of their friends.
Ms. Magnet said, “It was really magical. After 18 months of not really leaving the house and not seeing anyone because of the pandemic, it was really nice to bring everyone together and just be surrounded by people who really matter to us. “
The couple, both transgender, faced a long battle to get married as wife and wife (Photo: Joe Pepler / PinPep)
While the UK rail system is not known for its perfect timekeeping, the service itself ran just in time – although the couple almost caused a delay themselves when they boarded Euston at the last minute.
Ms. Magnet said, “There was definitely a minute when they wanted to take more photos when the doors started to close, and I panicked a little.
“I was afraid that we would end up in the marriage replacement bus service!”
Natasha Grice, Executive Director of Customer Experience at Avanti West Coast, said, “It’s been a tough 18 months for everyone, including couples.
“We wanted to put a smile on people’s faces again and what better way to do that than to help a happy couple finally celebrate their special day and reunite them with loved ones they haven’t seen since the pandemic ?
“It was incredibly exciting and heartwarming to have Laura and Jane, two big train fans, celebrate their dream wedding aboard an Avanti West Coast Pendolino.
“This wedding was a highlight for our team and will remain in our memory for a long time.”
