Everybody loves a good wedding and when we asked ECHO readers who walked down the aisle recently to share their stories with us, we were delighted with the response.

This is the first of our Married This Month galleries where you can read the stories behind the weddings as well as enjoying the snaps.

If you have just been wed, or know someone who would love to share their story with us, the form where you can send us all your details is below.

Samantha and Benjamin Ball tied the knot on August 15. They have been together for more than nine years after meeting in secondary school, Ben popped the question on a very romantic Christmas morning in 2013 after covering the lounge with rose petals.

Jodie and Kevin McCormack had two best men - Anthony Kelly and Michael Dahl - at their ceremony in Soughton Hall, North Wales.

Jodie explained: “We met through mutual friends and very quickly became inseparable. On the night Kevin proposed he came to pick me up with a huge bouquet of flowers and then took me to Chester for a night out complete with champagne and proposed that evening, he did the traditional thing to get down on one knee. I’ve never been so happy yet so surprised in all my life.”

Jemma and Steven Tym met while working in McDonald’s and he first asked her out in 2003. They were involved in a traffic accident 10 years ago, which brought them closer together and their son Max was born in 2010.


Rhiannon and David Hill were married at Our Lady and St Kierans Church, Ballylooby, Co.Tipperary, Southern Ireland on May 23. Their wedding photographer was McMahon Photography

Steven proposed in Florida in 2012, right under Cinderella’s castle! Their daughter Gabriella was born in 2013.

Rachel and Chris Swainbank were wed in St Nicholas Church, Crosby.

Although they knew each other at school, they didn’t meet seriously until five years after they left.

Rachel said: “I fell in love with Chris straight away and knew he was the one and apparently he felt the same.

“Chris proposed to me on January 25, 2014.

“We went for a romantic meal and then had a walk down the canal in Scarisbrick.

“Chris passed me the ring and asked me to marry him. As I said yes we nearly fell in the canal because Chris through he was being romantic by proposing in really heavy rain.”

Sean and Jen met in 1995 when he was working on a neighbour’s car that wouldn’t start and 20 years later they exchanged vows at the Hillbark Hotel. Sean proposed in 1996 and as Jen explained: “We had the longest engagement ever BUT 20 years later, to the day we met, we got married and had the fairytale wedding.

“Surrounded by our three children and all our friends and family and ending the night with an amazing firework display. I’d like to thank all our family and friends for being with us on one of the most important days of our lives. You are the ones that made it truly amazing for us. So thank you.”

Joanne and Kevin Stokes first met in Knowsley Hey School when they were 11 and started dating when they were 14. They have two sons, Jaxon and Flynn, with Jaxon acting as usher on the day.

They married at Knowsley Registry Office and enjoyed a fantastic reception at St Aiden’s club where the management and staff looked after them incredibly well.


Joanne and Kevin were married at Knowsley Registry Office on July 31. Their wedding photographer was Phil Kirby.

Rachel and David Moloney became husband and wife at Blessed Sacrament Church in Walton Vale. Jamie Tyrrell was best man and Gill McCormack was chief bridesmaid. David gave Rachel a locket to open on the day of the ceremony which included photographs of her two late grandfathers, Thomas Powell and Joseph Tyrrell, so that they could be part of the day. Their reception was at the Malmaison in Liverpool.

“Scousers on tour” was the description Rhiannon and David Hill gave for their big day when a large party of Merseysiders from David’s side of the family made the trip to Ballylooby in County Tipperary, Ireland, to see them tie the knot in the town where Rhiannon’s parents moved to in 1997.

The happy couple met at John Moores university in 2003 and for the first 10 years of their relationship David never brought Rhiannon a single piece of jewellery as he wanted her engagement ring to be the first piece he presented to her. He popped the question at Otterspool on their tenth anniversary.

Amanda and Martin Yates were married at St George’s Hall. They first met at a caravan park in Ormskirk where, according to Amanda, “Martin stalked me until I agreed to go on a date!”

The couple were delighted that Amanda’s 93-year-old nan was able to be there for the ceremony after suffering illness.

Melissa and Keith Morris married at St Anthony’s Church on Scotland Road with a reception at Radisson Blu.

Melissa said: “The sun was shining and me and my husband couldn’t have asked for anything better.

“On the day of the wedding I thought I would be a mess but Keith was more emotional than me and was crying during the speeches.”

Stephanie and Patrick Orme have to wait awhile for their honeymoon due to the groom’s work commitments but the former Bluecoat School pupils still enjoyed a fantastic wedding at St Lukes in Widnes.

Patrick proposed in Mexico and the pair were wed on their seventh anniversary of being together. Stephanie said: “We have a beautiful little girl Cora. We are best friends and have a really strong relationship. We have overcome quite a lot to be where we are.”

Thank you for sharing your wedding stories from this month with us. Everyone at the ECHO would like you to wish all our featured couples the very best for their future happiness. There will be more pictures and stories from Merseyside’s newlyweds next month.