With Swarovski-encrusted dresses weighing 20 stones, ceremonies valued at 150,000 pounds, and cakes so huge that four people have to wear them, cult TV series My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding fascinated the British.
And now, one traveler has revealed that families live on beans on toast for weeks to be able to afford to dress for weddings and holy communions, even if they’re just guests.
Nikia Marshall, 22, is a sedentary person married to Michael, 38, a travelerPhoto Credit: David Cummings – Commissioned by The Sun
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They revealed how travelers can survive WEEKS with beans on toast in order to afford a weddingCredit: handout
SEE THE THIRD EPISODE OF I MARRIED A TRAVELER EXCLUSIVELY ON FABULOUS ‘YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Michael Marshall, 38, and Mrs. Nikia, 22, who is a sedentary person, find weddings are so important that they have THREE – and yes, she will be wearing a Swarovski dress.
They present I Married A Traveler, an exclusive six-part YouTube series with Fabulous, which shows what it’s really like to bring your two worlds together.
Michael says to Fabulous, “To be honest, everyone in the traveler community wants to show off. But many people live on beans on toast for weeks to be able to afford it.
“The woman will only clean and make cheap teas, while the man will save and work hard.
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Her first wedding was a spontaneous thing and Nikia waited months for her ringPhoto credit: Nikia Marshall.
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Michael has her name tattooed instead of a ringPhoto credit: Nikia Marshall.
“Travelers have a very strong work ethic. And I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, I think it’s good to work hard and save money, so is Nikia.
“Many travelers will live on beans on toast to save while paving and roofing.
“But when it comes down to it, they spend it all on jewelry, cars, trailers, and nice things like weddings for the family. You won’t hold back. “
And the Marshalls want their own wedding to stand out just as much, even though they’ve both been married to someone else.
Michael ran away and married in Scotland when he was 19 years old and his then wife was 16 years old.
Meanwhile, Nikia married an American boy in California, with the couple separating from their respective spouses before meeting in a professional match on November 30, 2019.
Just three months later, after a whirlwind relationship in Las Vegas, the two tied the knot.
SEE THE THIRD EPISODE OF I MARRIED A TRAVELER EXCLUSIVELY ON FABULOUS ‘YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Michael, a boxer and roofer, says, “We were there for a Tyson Fury fight. We both knew we were in love, I knew in my heart that it was me.
“I was driving a rented V12 Charger muscle car when I said, ‘Do you want to marry me? Shall we just get married now? Let’s do it, we’re in Vegas, let’s do it. Come on, I want to be with you for the rest of my life.
“So I drove straight to Little White Chapel, where Elvis Presley got married. I highly recommend it to everyone. It was the best day of my life.
“Nikia wanted what all girls want me to get on one knee. But I think what I did was still romantic. “
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Michael is a boxer and the couple was in Las Vegas for a Mike Tyson fight when they got marriedPhoto credit: Nikia Marshall.
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The couple had a drive-thru weddingPhoto credit: Nikia Marshall.
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The couple’s wedding certificatePhoto credit: Nikia Marshall.
Nikia laughs: “I wouldn’t say that it was my dream proposal. I wanted him harnessed and hanging on the Eiffel Tower and doing the splayed eagle.
“But the wedding was actually really nice, it was magical. It was one of the best memories of my life.
“The priest would get us out of the car, perform our wedding ceremony, and then give us this list that said, ‘This is how you have a successful marriage. Be patient, be kind, be loving, be respectful.
“Now we’re planning wedding number three. We got married once in Vegas, once in Doncaster, and the third is going to be the big wedding. I want a big Swarovski dress, it will be beautiful. “
Everyone in the traveler community wants to show off. But many people live on beans on toast for weeks to be able to afford it
Michael Marshall
The couple became husband and wife on February 24, 2020 and made it legal in the UK with a civil wedding in Doncaster on January 2 of that year, with only Michael’s boyfriend and wife as witnesses.
Nikia says, “When we got married in Vegas, it was just me and Michael, no one came. It was so last minute, we were abroad for the fight, it wasn’t planned.
“I’m honest with you, me and Mike are lonely soldiers. We don’t have many friends to hang out with.
“We’re just best friends and we do everything together, so we didn’t have anyone involved.
“The big day didn’t cost much, I think the fight cost more. I wasn’t wearing a dress, I was in a True Religion top.
“My mother was angry that she didn’t come, but hey ho. It was in a hurry, but we’re going to have a big wedding, everyone is invited. “
Michael adds, “We were both wearing jeans and t-shirts when we got married. But we will make up for that, we want to do it right with the big dress, the church and the big reception. “
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The couple have since legally married in the UK and are planning a third, classic “OTT” day for travelersPhoto Credit: David Cummings – Commissioned by The Sun
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My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding made the extreme celebrations popularCredit: Channel 4
Bespoke Katie Price-style princess dresses, mahogany spray tans, and carriage driveways were all the rage when Gypsy Weddings hit our screens in 2010 – and it doesn’t sound like much has changed.
Says Nikia, “Travelers love a big wedding. Even for Holy Communion, all young girls are made up down to the smallest detail.
“I love the big wedding that comes with traveling, I think it’s really beautiful.
“But I think big weddings are for every girl, it’s not just travelers, that’s what you always imagine a little girl to be.”
Michael adds, “Personally, I think some traveler weddings are a bit OTT.
“In my opinion, some of them are going overboard, but Nikia will overdo it with the next one because she wants a big wedding too.”
Travel slang explained
Gorger: A non-Romani or non-traveler.
To grab: When a boy grabs an unmarried girl, he wants to kiss her without permission.
Porridge: Man.
For free: Mrs.
Turn out: Caravan.
Grünter: A sign of a rich man who is an easy target.
Cozy: Good.
Gammy: Bad.
The nature of her suggestion meant Nikia was without a ring until July 2020 when she moaned Michael until he got dressed at Rankins Jewelers, London, where diamond rings cost up to £ 11,000.
As with most things in the travel group, the same applies to sparklers: the bigger, the better.
Michael, who has Nikia’s name tattooed on his ring finger, says: “Travelers are very shame-oriented and proud.
“When a guy is well, he becomes more accepted in the girl’s family. Nobody wants their daughter to marry someone who cannot take care of herself.
Personally, I think some traveler weddings are a bit OTT. Some go overboard
Michael Marshall
“People will say, ‘This girl’s cousin has a 10-carat diamond ring, this one has an 8-carat diamond ring.’
“If the guy has a nice car and a nice stake, we call it a trailer, that’s how he’s judged.
“It was a little different for us. I’ve always been able to make a few pounds but it’s been tough about Lockdown and Covid-19, I’m sure a lot of people struggled with that.
“I and Nikia are very close, so we just kept going. Eventually I got her the best ring I could and that was it. She has chosen a nice ring.
“You can’t buy love with money. Some people in the traveling party might spend £ 100,000 on a ring, but it’s an arranged marriage.
“So from the girl’s point of view, do you really want to be in this situation? I wouldn’t want that for anyone. “
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The couple had their second wedding in Doncaster with only two witnessesPhoto credit: Nikia Marshall.
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Nikia and Michael promise to give everything for wedding number threePhoto credit: Nikia Marshall.
You can read last week’s episode of I Married A Traveler where Nikia reveals how Michael expected her to cook at home all day as his wife.
You can follow Nikia on Instagram and TikTok. She also has her own beauty and fashion range, Red Hot Cosmetics, which you can buy here. You can also follow Michael on TikTok.
Check back next Tuesday for the next installment of I Married A Traveler.
