SCOUSERS WHO GOT ENGAGED AT GLASTONBURY MAKE TEARFUL FESTIVAL RETURN

A couple who became engaged at Glastonbury last year held a handtying ceremony at this year's festival, which they described as their "favourite place on Earth."

Sian Barklem, 25, and Johnjo Smith, 24, from Liverpool, got engaged during Sir Elton John's performance at last year's festival and were married in September without any family or friends present.

The pair, attending their third Glastonbury, decided to celebrate their marriage with a handtying ceremony attended by around 20 of their friends, with who they have shared the festival experience in previous years.

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Sian said: "We got married in September but we had decided that we wanted to do this in Glastonbury this year, to celebrate with our friends and a year from our engagement as well.

"Glastonbury is a very special place because it's our favourite place on Earth, so it's very special that we can celebrate our marriage and our relationship on these special grounds and with all our friends, who we always come with.

"It's a very spiritual place and we enjoyed spending time in the Healing Fields when we had come to the festival in previous years. It is a really special and significant place for us to solidify the relationship in a spiritual way."

Officiating the ceremony was Glenda Procter from the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, who has been conducting handfasting at Glastonbury for over ten years. Sian, who works as cabin crew, said: "The words that the celebrant was reading really resonated with our relationship and it was a really emotional ceremony."

According to Sian, friends of the couple described the ceremony as "really moving, really emotional and really special".

She added: "Everyone said you could just feel the love, like it was present everywhere, and everyone was crying. They said it was more emotional than they thought it was going to be."

Donning pink, purple and yellow headpieces purchased at last year's Glastonbury and worn during Sir Elton's set, the couple added a vibrant touch to their attire.

Sian said: "We've kept our hands tied together for a couple of hours but it's not very practical being at a festival and having our hands tied so we've just taken it off now. We had the opening ceremony last night, our wedding celebration this morning, the weather it's just got the makings for the perfect Glasto."

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2024-06-28T07:07:26Z dg43tfdfdgfd