True-life
We said ‘I do’ with a pair of donks
Emma Jarman Revell, 35, Broome
Walking through the lush green meadow, I knew it was the one.
‘It’s perfect,’ I said to my fiancé Tristan, then 32.
It was September 2020 and we were venue hunting. Tristan had proposed during a trip to Las Vegas the previous December.
With delays caused by the pandemic, we’d got off to a slow start.
But after initially considering an intimate ceremony in Italy or Spain, we’d decided to throw a big bash for family and friends.
And now, walking around Rookery Meadow in Suffolk, 30 mins from our home, I was sure we’d found the place.
‘Can we bring our dogs?’ I asked Gemma, the venue owner.
‘Of course!’ she said.
Tristan and I are big animal lovers, and we wanted our pooches, Rottweiler-cross rescue dog Ricco and French bulldog Luna, to be with us. The deal was sealed! We set a date for September 2021.
‘If you love animals, take a look at this,’ Gemma said, pulling out her phone.
She showed us photos of previous weddings where the brides and grooms had hired miniature donkeys. ‘They’re adorable!’
I squealed at Tristan. ‘They really are,’ he grinned. Neither of us had kids in the family the right age to be page boys and flower girls. These teeny donkeys could be the perfect substitution! Gemma put us in touch with charity Mini Donks, and it was easy to book. We simply gave a donation.
When we told my mum Kim, 59, she thought we were mad! My nan Queenie, 90, didn’t believe us.
‘You’re winding me up!’ she chuckled.
We kept it secret from everyone else.
Sadly, the wait was even longer than we’d hoped, as more COVID-19 delays pushed our big day back to June 2022.
But finally, it arrived.
For our legal wedding, we had a small ceremony at St Peter’s Brewery, with our sibl
