It was a case of love at second sight for this Norfolk couple. They are finally getting married after their big day was cancelled by coronavirus – and also 50 years after tying the knot for the first time.
And the course of true love certainly did not run smooth for Annette Whiley, 69, and Glyn de Lacy, 70. After meeting up and falling back in love more than 40 years after divorcing, they had to wait five years for a divorce to come through and then finally named the date for the big day on April 18.
But then Covid-19 happened and their wedding at Dunston Hall in Norwich was cancelled.
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But now, after the Prime Minister’s announcement that weddings can go ahead with 30 or less people, they have set a new date on August 15 when they will at last become husband and wife – again.
They have bought a house together in Aylsham and are excitedly making plans – not even managing to contact all their relatives yet to tell them the news that the wedding is back on.
The couple, childhood sweethearts, got married in 1969 in Matlock, Derbyshire the first time round and had a daughter Ginny but in 1974 went their separate ways, divorcing and both remarried other people.
Mr de Lacy’s wife passed away and he met up with Ms Whiley about five years ago at a function organised by their daughter. They knew instantly they should be together and the very next day at their daughter’s barbecue, made the surprise announcement.
“When we met again we both just knew,” said Ms Whiley, a retired accountant. “The next day at my daughter’s BBQ, we said we were getting married.”
Later the trio were looking out some old photos. “There was a picture of our engagement. I said to Glyn: ‘I’ve still got the engagement ring you gave me and I went to fetch it, I knew exactly where it was. I brought it downstairs and gave it to him and he put it on my finger again.”
Mr de Lacy said: “We just knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together.”
However, Ms Whiley will be wearing something new as well as old because Mr de Lacy, who ran an electronics firm, bought her a new engagement ring, a solitaire diamond to go alongside the first ring which was a sapphire and diamonds.
“We have aged a bit in 40 years or more,” said Ms Whiley. “His hair is a different colour than it was but otherwise I don’t think we’ve changed much.”
She added: “We watched the news briefings every single day. When we heard it, we weren’t sure but then Dunston Hall rang us the next morning and said the wedding could go ahead.”
David Graham, general manager at Dunston Hall, said: “We are so thrilled for this couple. They were going to have about 50 people originally but have decided on a smaller, intimate wedding so that it can go ahead and we will do everything we can to make it the best day for them.”
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