By edanI was 47 years old when I got married to Laura in Gibraltar on Saturday the 6th of June 2026, after 16 years together.
We had gone there to do it properly, and it still felt a bit unreal until we got to the Botanic Gardens for the ceremony. The morning had been overcast and cloudy, but by then the day had started to clear up, and the air felt lighter.
We had only just managed to find the witnesses hours before, using Facebook, so it had all been cutting it close. It was just us two, the registrar, and the two witnesses, and that made it feel very personal and close.
The registrar was a bit of a character, really amusing. He had been on TV and in the French version of the Married at First Sight, and he was keen to show us his Instagram feed, his motorbike, and all his travels. He was clearly proud of it all, and it made the whole thing feel even more memorable.
Laura looked beautiful in her modern white dress, and I had on a blue suit I had bought the week before. That morning we had been out watching dolphins, and we were lucky enough to see a couple of pods following the boats and playing in the water. Laura had always wanted to see a dolphin, so that meant a lot to her, and it meant a lot to me too.
When we started saying our vows, I could feel the emotion building in me. I welled up as I spoke, and the gravity of the moment really hit me then. It was no longer just the idea of getting married. It was happening.
Flora, one of the witnesses, took photos and videos on one of our phones while they signed everything. She was part of a wedding planning agency, and both witnesses seemed to do this kind of thing regularly. I can’t remember the man’s name, but Flora stayed calm and kind through it all.
We had music playing in the background too. It started with Amie by Damien Rice, then moved into First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes, which is our song because I used to play it to Laura on guitar. After the ceremony, it finished with Mr. Brightside by The Killers, Laura’s favourite song.
Even the day before had felt like part of the same story. We were in the government offices registering our documents, and there was a Mexican couple there who had their wedding in the same spot just 30 minutes before us. They recognised us the next day and were pleased to see us.
That evening Laura and I went for a bite at a nice little Indian restaurant. They had set two tables for us, one inside and one outside, just in case. Then, by chance, that same Mexican couple and their families were at the table next to us. We had a lovely chat and a nice meal, and it all felt warm and easy.
By the end of it all, I just felt lucky. Lucky for the dolphins, lucky for the clear sky, lucky for the music, and above all lucky for Laura.