Rugby-loving bride cheers husband on in wedding dress hours after marriage

A rugby-loving bride cheered her husband on from the sidelines in her wedding dress, just hours after the newlywed couple tied the knot.

Amy Vinson, 42, insisted Craig Vinson, 40, play for Hornets RFC after discovering his team’s last fixture of the season fell on their wedding day.

So after donning a suit and marrying Amy at Weston Registry Office on Saturday, Craig put on his kit, which included a new pair of white boots engraved with the date, and took to the field against Blake Bears RFC.

The friendly game ended 45-19 to Hornets, after which the wedding party and most of the players celebrated long into the night at the Pear Orchard pub in nearby Clevedon.

Amy, a paralegal and mother-of-two whose sons both play rugby, said: ‘I absolutely loved standing there in my wedding dress watching him play. Some brides might think it was mad, but for us it was perfect.

‘I knew how important that final game of the season was to Craig and I didn’t want him missing out because of the wedding. If anything, it made the day even better because it was so personal to us.’

The couple, who live in Wick St Lawrence, north Somerset, met on a dating site in October 2023 and booked their wedding date before the Hornets fixtures had been announced.

It later transpired that the team’s last fixture of the season coincided with their wedding.

Amy insisted he played despite the clash, and made arrangements around the fixture.

However, disaster struck when the Hornets’ fourth team folded midway through the season.

The couple quickly rallied players together to organise a friendly against Bears, with players ranging in age from teenagers to 78 in what was the first wedding day game ever held at the Weston-super-Mare club.

The friendly game was played in great spirits and turned into a touch game for the last 15 minutes to allow some of the female spectators and children to take part.

Craig, a fire suppression engineer, said: ‘It honestly could not have been a more perfect wedding day for us. Rugby is such a huge part of our lives, so it felt completely natural to make it part of our marriage celebrations.

‘I had said I probably wouldn’t play because it was our wedding day, but Amy wouldn’t hear of it. She just said, “Of course you’re playing – you can’t miss the last game of the season because of our wedding”.

‘Having everyone there made the day even more special.’

Amy said the match brought together friends, family, teammates and club veterans in a way a traditional wedding reception never could.

She added: ‘Rugby has brought so many people into our lives over the years, so celebrating our marriage this way just felt right.

‘Everyone was together, laughing, cheering and enjoying themselves. It wasn’t just our wedding day — it felt like a big celebration for the whole club as well, and that made it really special.’

After the match, celebrations continued at a nearby reception venue, which even featured a tattoo artist for guests.

One Hornets player decided to mark the occasion permanently by getting the club’s famous Hornet logo tattooed on his bum.

Amy laughed: ‘That definitely stole the show. I don’t think many weddings can say that happened at their reception.

‘It was fun, slightly chaotic and completely unforgettable — exactly the kind of wedding we wanted.’

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