Avanti Marriage Carriage

[yorksrob]

If I was stupid enough to actually get married again (done it once) I'd quite like the idea of a train. Perhaps a pacer between Carnforth and Settle Shake rattle 'n' roll.

I'd hire the thumper. No question.

 

[Darandio]

Avanti have very much adopted the Virgin philosophy though, haven’t they? When the execs don’t change, the culture isn’t going to either.

I'm not so sure. Maybe now but it didn't seem that way at all initially.

 

[Ianigsy]

My question is why on earth would you ever want the ceremony of the supposed happiest day of your life performed on a Pendolino or any busy train

All the trimmings thrown in for nothing?

 

[PeterY]

All the trimmings thrown in for nothing?

Probably the same trimmings that you don't get in 1st.

 

[185]

Been done before, MTL Northern Spirit Transpennine in 1999. Two staff, steward & stewardess had a blessing (with vicar et all) on board an empty stock 3-car 158... prior to the registry office formality. The tying the knot was done in the 3-mile Standedge tunnel.

 

[Dave W]

No different to getting married in an open air venue important to the bride and groom... You just have to go up the registry office on the Monday morning after* to do the legal bit. Quite a few weddings I've been to have been in gardens of family, etc.

The law is meant to be changing on that (I think it's already different in Scotland - could you be "legally married" on board a train there?)

* Or the morning of, or - for my (cancelled!) wedding - the Thursday before.

 

[mpthomson]

Don't think this has been posted before, check out:

404 - Page Not Found | Avanti West Coast

You've stumbled across a broken link or you've typed the URL incorrectly. Use our menu to get back on track.

www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk

After reading the small print I found this:

A bit misleading to me.
But hey ho, free Avanti 'stunning cake' and champagne I guess for the lucky winners!

Not really. OH is a wedding planner and celebrant. Many wedding venues offer a ceremony now that isn’t legally binding and conducted by a celebrant. This is an increasingly popular option. It’s always made very clear that the couple also need to arrange either a Registry Office or church wedding either before or after to complete the legal bits, this can be done at very small scale (couple plus 2 witnesses) and as a consequence very low cost.

This is due to change next year when celebrants will be able to be licensed to carry out the legal parts of a marriage at venues too.

 

[CraigLockhart]

It is perfectly legal in Scotland to get married almost anywhere. As long as the local registrar office gives permission. I've been to a wedding on a canal boat so an Avanti train would be fine too.

 

[al78]

This could be a potentially efficient use of time. Get married on the train whilst it transports you to your honeymoon destination.

 

[kevconnor]

I just have an image of trying to tie the knot on a typical Northern train. The groom saying his vows, only to be interrupted by a team of RPI's from Carlisle security, in their normal pleasant demeanour, boarding to do a full ticket check and being escorted off the train before saying, I do.

 

[CeeJ]

Avanti have picked a winner, and the winner has posted to TikTok! She sounds very excited - good on Avanti for doing this.

 

[Retorus]

Avanti have picked a winner, and the winner has posted to TikTok! She sounds very excited - good on Avanti for doing this.

Laura is lovely, very happy she won.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

After reading the small print I found this:

A bit misleading to me.
But hey ho, free Avanti 'stunning cake' and champagne I guess for the lucky winners!

That might have been just as well: If the prize had been a proper legal marriage ceremony, they might have been a bit short of competition entrants... I mean, aside from a train not exactly being the most romantic place for most people, how many couples would be willing to plan their wedding less than 2 weeks in advance?

 

[westv]

Presumably the prize didn't include a reception and the chance to boogie over the bogie.

 

[Skie]

Presumably the prize didn't include a reception and the chance to boogie over the bogie.

Let loose in the Caboose?

 

[Sm5]

All the trimmings thrown in for nothing?

I was on the last ever Virgin train, to which we were treated to champagne, served in a paper cup…

So dont get hopes up too high for this classy occasion.

 

[6Gman]

Princess Arthur of Connaught (1912-1959) was one person. Before marrying Prince Arthur of Connaught she was plain Lady Alexandra Duff. ("Lady" as her father was a Duke). She wouldn't be styled "Princess Alexandra", because she was only a princess by marriage, not by birth. (Hence, e.g "Diana, Princess of Wales", not "Princess Diana")



The Welshpool & Llanfair railway's original locomotives are called the Earl and The Countess, after the 4th Earl of Powys and his wife, who were strong supporters of the construction of the line.

If we are allowed Eurotunnel locos:

9820 Nicolai Ghiaurov and 9834 Mirella Freni were a married couple.

(Opera singers. He was a Bulgarian bass, she was an Italian soprano.)

And if we are allowed units:

395020 Jason Kenny & 395028 Laura Trott.

(Already noted upthread)

 

[Grumpus63]

I see that a (or the) on-board train marriage has appeared in the media this morning. Although the modern theme (in some aspects) would not be to everybody's taste I thought that the two primary participants looked very-well-turned-out as did all the guests that I could see in the pictures. I also liked the story that they were both extremely fond of trains and that railways were the silver thread throughout their budding romance (call me an old softie).

I had a slightly cynical chuckle too at the fact that sections of the media, traditionally, have scorned anyone with a "self-confessed" liking for railways (as if it was something they considered anyone should be ashamed of). But here there was a couple loving trains almost as much as each other who ticked the woke boxes that the media is obsessed with. Had it been bespectacled Hector and his spotty wife Maud who were clutching their ABC rail guides (supplied by scheming journalists) next to their bibles then the media would have mocked as viciously as ever and represented it as a circus but this happy couple got a free pass and the media (that I saw) gave them (as they should everyone) proper respect.

Finally I noticed that the happy couple were not called "trainspotters" (which is popular media-speak for "freak" and which the apocryphal Hector and Maud would certainly have been labelled with) but were courteously called "train enthusiasts" (as in "wine enthusiasts") and it was all most tastefully done.

....."for richer for poorer" (with these fares? Do me a favour...you're bound to be poorer )....."in sickness and in health" (I presume that the preferred mantra for still wearing masks did not apply in the marriage carriage?)

Best wishes to the rail-borne betrothed.

 

[jopsuk]

Here's the Avanti tweet regarding it:

https://twitter.com/AvantiWestCoast/status/1425360743105548289

Congratulations to Laura and Jane - this is peak wedding goals

#MarriageCarriage

And a tweet from one of the couple:

https://twitter.com/LaurakBuzz/status/1425368405834670085?s=20

Now it's past 9am I can actually talk about and share info about my train wedding on social media. So yeah, yesterday me and Jane had an all expenses paid wedding on a train. I'm autistic, and have a special interest in trains, so this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

 

[Bayum]

A very moving service: Rail enthusiasts get married on train from London Euston

When their special day finally arrived on Tuesday, Laura Dale and Jane Magnet, were given a champagne reception at London Euston before boarding a Pendolino carriage decorated with flowers.

news.sky.com

A rail-crazy couple have tied the knot in their "dream" place - onboard a train.

Laura Dale and Jane Magnet travelled on the West Coast Main Line when they first met, so winning a competition to have their wedding on a train was a "dream come true".

The newlyweds, from Surrey, beat 150 other entries for the opportunity to say "I do" on an Avanti West Coast service.

Can’t help but feel that Laura and Jane were top of the pack ahead of many heterosexual couples… but I’m in that sort of mood today.

 

[Egg Centric]

Congrats ladies! Great to see normal women who are into trains for once.

 

[hst43102]

Was the unit involved 390119? That would be a nice touch...and go along with the colourful dresses!

 

[Crossover]

Was the unit involved 390119? That would be a nice touch...and go along with the colourful dresses!

It looks like it was 390141 - 9G16 1059 London Euston to Birmingham New Street

 

[43055]

Was the unit involved 390119? That would be a nice touch...and go along with the colourful dresses!

It was the plan but was unavailable on the day.

 

[185143]

A very moving service: Rail enthusiasts get married on train from London Euston

When their special day finally arrived on Tuesday, Laura Dale and Jane Magnet, were given a champagne reception at London Euston before boarding a Pendolino carriage decorated with flowers.

news.sky.com

Can’t help but feel that Laura and Jane were top of the pack ahead of many heterosexual couples… but I’m in that sort of mood today.

Sadly I suspect you're right.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for them and hope they had a great experience, but I can't help but think marrying two lesbians on the Pride train would have mainly served as excellent PR for Avanti. Especially given that was mentioned as being the plan in this thread.

 

[guildford]

I thought this was an April Fools joke when i first read this. This seems like something that Virgin Trains would have done. I thought that First and Trenitalia were more normal. But perhaps all the same managers are still in charge. Personally getting married on Pendolino (one of the worst trains) going to Birmingham (one of the worst cities) sounds like hell. But each to their own.

I think weddings have been conducted at some Heritage Railways before (but not on a moving train) but i wonder if this is the first time it has happened on the ordinary mainline railway.

I agree with what Bayum and 185143 have said. I think that these days anyone who is Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender etc is automatically put to the top of the list. It helps these companies meet their diversity and inclusion targets and gives them good publicity. Sadly this seems to be getting more and more common these days that companies pick people solely based on this.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Have I accidentally clicked on a banner ad and turned RF into Mumsnet?

Yes it's a PR stunt, but it always would be regardless of who the winning couple were.

 

[jh64]

I was wondering how long before the 'Straight people, the real oppressed minority' rubbish would show up. Congratulations to Laura and Jane, looks like a wonderful day for them and their friends and family.

 

[Crossover]

I think weddings have been conducted at some Heritage Railways before (but not on a moving train) but i wonder if this is the first time it has happened on the ordinary mainline railway.

I don’t believe the ‘ceremony’ on the train was legally binding

 

[Ianigsy]

I remember reading about 10-15 years ago about a train crew husband and wife on the Far North line who'd had their ceremony on a service train while it was reversing at Thurso. The train had to be stationary as Scots law is very hot on recording the place where legal agreements are entered into.