Hair, check. Makeup, check. Save a life, check.
One of these is not like the other, but for bride Rose Skelton, who is a lifeboat volunteer, it was pretty normal.
On the day of her wedding blessing, Rose had to rush to the Tobermory lifeboat station on the isle of Mull, Scotland, after her pager went off.
Rose was in the middle of her celebrations with new wife Nomi Stone when duty called.
Fortunately, there was more than enough crew and she was stood down and able to rejoin her wife and their families and friends.
The couple had their marriage blessed on Tobermory’s Severn class lifeboat in what is believed to be the first blessing of a same-sex couple to take place on an RNLI lifeboat.
They decided to have their marriage blessed there as Rose’s granddad served as a volunteer crewman on the Dover RNLI lifeboat.
It also served a sentimental purpose as his ashes were scattered by the lifeboat 20 years ago.
‘I had always wanted to be on the lifeboats after I grew up listening to my grandfather’s stories about being on the Dover crew,’ explained Rose.
‘Joining the Tobermory crew was one of the best things I’ve ever done and I’m so happy to see how the station has welcomed Nomi in as part of the family too.
‘Having our marriage blessed here has been really special for both of us.’
Rose, a freelance writer and Naomi, an assistant professor at the University of Texas, were officially married in November 2018 in Philadelphia.
As many of their friends were not able to attend, they decided to celebrate their wedding again with a special lifeboat blessing and a ceilidh on Mull, where Rose has been on the crew since 2015.
And being the first same-sex wedding at the venue, there was much fanfare.
After being piped down Tobermory’s colourful Main Street by the Mull and Iona pipe band, the brides were met by a guard of honour formed of members of the lifeboat crew holding the traditional RNLI wedding oars at the pier where the lifeboat was berthed alongside.
The couple both read a poem written by their friend and Tobermory RNLI coxswain David McHaffie then led a short blessing.
He was delighted to have been involved. He said: ‘Rose and Nomi are part of our lifeboat family and it was an honour to be part of their marriage blessing.
‘All of us at the station wish them fair winds and following seas.’
Did you get married in an unconventional venue or in an unconventional way? Tell us more by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/24/wedding-interrupted-after-lifeboat-volunteer-bride-is-called-out-on-emergency-11956005/
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