Loving Couple Leave Critics Speechless By Celebrating 24 Years Of Marriage
The beautiful sound of wedding bells ringing after a couple exchanges their vows is just music to ears, isn’t it? Not for Maryanne and Tommy Pilling because the world was against their marriage in July 1995.
While Maryanne and Tommy were head over heels in love with each other and couldn’t wait to start their lives together, people who knew them were busy critiquing their decision to marry each other and thought their marriage wouldn’t last. Before we proceed, here’s an interesting fact about wedding bells. According to a wedding superstition, ringing bells loud and clear during or after a wedding scares off evil spirits that prey on a new couple’s happiness. To this day, wedding bells are thought to bring luck and fortune to newlywed couples. So, what does this have to do with our story? We’re getting to that!
While loud wedding bells wasn’t the reason why Maryanne and Tommy have been married for 24 long years, the superstition probably worked for this couple because despite what people said, they refused to be torn apart. They refused to let people, let alone spirits, prey on their happiness. But what was so different about them that led people to believe their marriage was a bad idea? Maryanne and Tommy were the first couple with Down Syndrome to get married in the UK, in July 1995. It all started in 1990 when they met each other in a local training center for people with disabilities and since they shared the same passion for cooking, they were both tasked to help in the kitchen.
Just 18 months after dating each other, Tommy decided to propose to Maryanne, but not before asking her mother, Linda’s permission. Tommy brought over a toy ring that he got from a vending machine when he went to ask Linda’s permission to propose to Maryanne. Linda was so delighted that she took him to a shop where they bought an actual engagement ring, after which Tommy and Maryanne got engaged. Three years after the engagement, the couple got married in Shoeburyness, Essex in July 1995 where 250 people celebrated the happy couple’s union. Most people thought their idea of marrying each other was disgusting and that they shouldn’t have even been allowed to marry.
According to them, not only was Tommy 13 years older than Maryanne, but it was also because Down Syndrome was associated with learning difficulties, hence they believed their marriage would never work out. Well, guess what, they were wrong because, in July 2015, the couple renewed their vows to celebrate 20 years of wedded bliss, leaving people, who once doubted them, utterly speechless. Their fairytale story gives hope to others with Down Syndrome, telling them that nothing is impossible and that they too can find their happily ever after!
Today, 48-years-old Maryanne thinks that her 61-years-old husband, Tommy, is her best friend and that her wedding day was the best day of her life! In the end, they’ve proved that anything is possible with love!
Have you ever come across couples who’ve beaten all odds and proved everyone wrong? Let us know in the comments below. Don’t forget to share this article with your friends and check out JojoStories for more jaw-dropping content we’re sure you’ll enjoy!
