Meet the Norfolk couple who tied the knot on Royal Wedding day
Sam and Dale Appleby on their wedding day, Saturday May 19. Picture: TRACEY WALSH - Credit: Archant
As the world prepares to celebrate the Royal Wedding, one couple from Norfolk will also be saying 'I do' - 17 years after they first met.
Sam Bishop and Dale Appleby are getting married on the same day as the Royal Wedding. Picture: TRACEY WALSH - Credit: Archant
Sam Bishop, 30, was introduced to the love of her life, Dale Appleby, 32, when they were just teenagers.
The mother-of-three said: 'We went to different high schools - me to Neatherd and Dale to Northgate - but we met through mutual friends. We were only 14 and 15 at the time but now 17, nearly 18, years after we first met and we are finally getting married.'
The childhood sweethearts, of Great Dunham, between Swaffham and Dereham, booked the wedding 14 months ago, almost a year before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement. Miss Bishop said it had only added to the excitement of their special day.
'We decided on the date because it's Dale's mum's birthday the week after so we thought we would do it before then.
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'We had no idea what was going to happen.
'I was a bit gutted at first. I thought everywhere would be busy but now, because of seeing it on the TV, it's become a build-up for my own day.'
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The couple's seven-year-old daughter, Holly, said she was excited that her parents would share their day with the royals.
Miss Bishop added: 'She is going to be my flower girl at the wedding and will be reading a poem during the ceremony.
'She's been so excited being able to tell people we are sharing our day with a prince and princess.'
And in an unusual twist, the couples two other children are called Harry and Henry, aged 14 and 10 respectively.
The couple planned to tie the knot at 1pm at Norwich Castle, followed by a reception in Dereham.
Miss Bishop said they planned to check-in with the Royal Wedding on the television but the most important part of the day for her would be saying 'I do'.
Referring to becoming Mrs Appleby, she added: 'I feel like I will finally be part of the family. We've waited so long to be married and it feels like it's taken forever to get here. Now it's finally here.'
- Are you getting married today? Email reporter Donna-Louise Bishop at donna-louise.bishop@archant.co.uk with brief details of the couple and wedding, with a photo, and we will try to feature the happy couples here.
