GWRYCH Castle’s first ever civil wedding is taking place this month.
Jill Adamson and her partner Nick Clitheroe will tie the knot at the I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! castle near Abergele, on May 19. The couple, who live in Rhyl, are both 60.
The wedding signals the start of a new 'fairytale' chapter for the couple after a period of great sadness; Nick's wife Sarah died from ovarian cancer 10 years ago.
Jill, Rhyl Journal camera club member, said: "Things are never easy. Life takes different turns.
"Completely out of the blue we got engaged on the beach in Rhyl last September.
"I never thought Nick would want to get married again. He and Sarah had a lovely relationship and then he proposed.
"It was really exciting."
The castle, who have unveiled its plans to expand as a wedding and function room and have applied to Conwy’s licensing committee for permission to play live music and serve alcohol for wedding parties, have held blessings at the Grade-I listed building but Jill and Nick’s wedding will be the first civil ceremony.
Jill said: “I'm already very excited about getting married but this makes it even more special and unique. It is such a lovely place and a beautiful setting.
"We were talking about venues to get married and Gwrych Castle announced on Facebook they were now open for ceremonies.
"It was a really stormy the day when we went to look at it but we still loved it. We went to see other venues as well but we couldn't get it out of our heads."
In the evening, the couple will be going to the White House in Rhuallt.
“For the ceremony, we have got someone coming to do canapes and champagne and someone is coming to do music," said Jill.
"We have used all local suppliers.
“The room we are getting married in is the old stables.
“We have got 40 guests coming to the actual wedding and up to 100 in the evening.
“I have got three bridesmaids - one is 68, one is 25 and one is eight!”
Jill and Nick came together after both enduring difficulties and sadness.
"A long time ago, Nick started working for my ex-husband in our garage when I was married," Jill said.
"He had a wife then called Sarah and a son called Zak. Zak is the same age as my daughter Natalie. I have an older son too called Alistair.
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"Sarah and I started to become friends as Nick was working with my ex-husband in the garage. We all then became friends and started going out together. Sarah and I use to take the kids to go and do stuff in the school holidays and Sarah and I were also interested in photography and used to go dancing together. We used to do a lot together.
"I got divorced. During this time Nick and Sarah helped me to move out.
"I worked with Sarah in a mail order company. We continued to be friends.
"Sarah became really poorly with ovarian cancer. She had two bouts of it. The first one she recovered from, she was in remission, the second one she didn't... and she passed away 10 years ago next month."
Jill added: "I had been in a hideous relationship with somebody else. I got over that one and then decided I was never ever again getting involved with anybody else because I was done - finished.
"At one point, Sarah and Nick went down to Pembrokeshire for a kite surfing lesson and broke his leg. He came home with Sarah and she was still unwell. I had to take the pair of them to the hospital - Nick for his plaster appointment and Sarah for her chemotherapy. I went through Sarah dying with him and I helped him with the funeral arrangements.
"After Sarah died, Nick was on his own and I was on my own and we decided we were both free agents and we started going out doing stuff together. At that point, we weren't an item - just friends.
"We have had a few wobbles; we have got over them. We grew together as a couple. Nick moved in with me because he sold his house in Rhyl. He moved in with me and I was living in Ruthin and we lived there for a couple of years and then we decided we could buy a house in Rhyl together because it was cheaper than paying rent.
"Completely out of the blue we got engaged on the beach in Rhyl, last September. I never thought Nick would want to get married again. He and Sarah had a lovely relationship and then he proposed. It was really exciting.
“It was almost like it was meant to be.
“I was 60 in January. I said out of the blue 'wouldn’t it be great to get married when we are both 60 as that would be a fantastic thing to do'. I didn’t say anything else. We laughed about it, planted a seed and it is happening.
“We got two kittens back in October and Nick said ‘that is it, we’ve got kids now, we’ve got to get married!
“It is like a fairytale ending. You don’t get many like that.”
A spokesperson from Gwrych Castle said there had been blessings at the castle previously.
They added: "We’re very much looking forward to holding the first civil ceremony at Gwrych Castle this month. The castle is such an impressive backdrop and now we have internal areas, Gwrych Castle has the best of both worlds and does make the perfect wedding venue.
"We’re hoping this will be the first of many, as we’ve seen an increase in enquiries and bookings since making the announcement last year."
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