This Is North Devon
07:05 - 13-November-2008
THE captain of the Oldenburg and one of the ship's most loyal passengers have tied the knot on the vessel which brought them together.
Jeremy Waller and Gwendoline Oram made history on Saturday after becoming the first couple to marry on the ship in a special humanist ceremony.
Jeremy was dressed in all his captain's finery while the bride and her bridesmaids sparkled in Art Deco style.
Gwendoline met Jeremy eight years ago when visiting her son Derek and his wife Marie who live on Lundy.
The couple had talked of marriage, but Gwendoline took advantage of 2008 being a leap year and proposed via text message when Jeremy was delivering a new ship in foreign waters.
His reply was: "anytime, anywhere".
The couple said they did not want their family to share their special day in a register office and so asked the Lundy Office if they could hold a humanist ceremony and reception on board the Oldenburg.
Jeremy has been the captain of the Oldenburg on and off for the past 10 years.
He said: "I have always wanted to get married on a ship and to have my own ship was too good an opportunity to miss."
Gwendoline said: "It was very appropriate as the ship had celebrated her 50th birthday in August and this was to be the first wedding ever on board her."
The couple said they also wanted to involve local caterers and suppliers and provide their own personal touch — down to the wedding favours which were cuttings of Gwendoline's "ancient" aspidistra.
Kevin Murphy, wedding celebrant from the British Humanist Association, said: "I think it is a lovely idea, given that the groom's family is a seafaring family going back four generations and it is through the Oldenburg that the couple met.
"The ceremony was devised by the couple with me which made it very personal. They both love words and they spent a lot of time writing to each other after they met.
"I felt very honoured and privileged to help them create the ceremony they wanted for their special day." The couple spent their honeymoon on Lundy, Almeria in Spain and London.
They plan to have a legal ceremony at a later date.