Why we chose to be married at London Zoo!


ON reflection, we were asking for it. Getting married at London Zoo inevitably prompted a long list of wisecracks from would-be Tarbies and Mannings.


mate, with your looks, you better make sure she don't end up marry­ ing a gorilla!," and: "Into the lion's den, quite literally, eh?," were the sort of hilarious quips I heard again and again in the frantic


"A zoo! Telfyou what, ■ m ■*’ - By BEN CARLISH


~o~................ - ---------- known function venue in seven months leading up London - bar two or to mine and Charlotte's three strip-clubs in wedding. Our pat-riposte to


"Mum, dad, we're get­ ting hitched on the pitch" - no chance. Where then? My moth­ er-in-law to-be played a "blinder," ringing every


such side-splitting remarks became: "Well, it was animal attraction which brought us together, so what better place?" If the truth be known,


our choice of venue was dictated more by foot­ ball fixtures than a love of animals. You see, when I proposed to my love on the first day of 1998 in a gale force-ten wind on an Anglesey cliff top (that's another story), the romance of the moment rather coloured our vision of the organisational and diplomatic minefield that lay ahead. As devoted football


fans, we agreed the big day could not clash with any big matches, ruling out any weekend of the football season. And, to desecrate the sanctity of the World Cup with marriage? That would have been blasphemy! That left July - a recipe for organised chaos and opportunities aplenty to cause family rifts the size of the Grand Canyon. Of this our respective


Soho. The function suite at London Zoo fitted the bill and who were we to argue? After all, Prince Charles, no less, had held "do's" there in the past. A final family pow-wow at my parents' home in Birmingham between the two "sides" saw the t's crossed and the i's dotted and we were ready for the off. On the morning of


first-night, except my eager audience was going to be 175 friends and relatives at our


was well and truly bro­ ken, though, when we slipped in a couple of our own wedding vows. "I promise to honour your love of Arsenal Football Club" hers, not mine, and: "I promise not to rub it in too much when Birming­ ham City thrash you at Highbury (chance should be a fine thing!)." Even the hye­ nas outside were laugh­ ing at that one. All right, it was all a


„ , , , ,


little unconventional, but it was very us - and that's what it should be about, the blushing bride and the grinning, or initially, the grimac­ ing groom. Throughout the organisational nightmares, the family


Jul^ 26it f ’ 1998i f u'tVp squabbles and the hours m blind terror. I felt like J thinking "is it all


" debutant actor on H


wedding. But, despite my bion­


ic butterflies, it all went off wonderfully. My bride was the most beautiful sight any man could behold as she made her way up the aisle. But I still thought I was going to pass out as we stood there before the registrars. The ice


worth it?", stick to your guns - because it really is all worth it. It went by in a flash, but it was the best day of our lives, and six months down the line we can honestly say it was the best thing we ever did. Get married in a


church, a mosque, on a ship or even in a zoo, but make the most of it when the big day comes because, hopefully, you will only do it once.


Hands* face, figure...


families were sure: (1) We were to have the wedding just as we wanted it; (2) just as long as it complied with how they wanted it; (3)


every close friend and d is ta n t relative in the known universe would


be invited. Between the two fami­


lies, we ended up with a modest invitation list of 175. Perhaps we could hire a football stadium for the day? Imagine:


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