The Start Of Us

This Saturday was our 17th wedding anniversary. It's about time I shared how we met.

In the October of 1995 I was 17 and in my second year of college in Crawley, West Sussex. James was 21 and had decided to take some time out from painting cars after he'd returned from his mission, and took a job in security and cleaning at the London Temple.

One weekend I attended the temple with the Laurels and Priests in my stake to do some baptisms. On the Saturday we did some work in the temple, and I noticed there was a handsome young man helping out. When it was my turn to do the baptisms, he took my hand I felt like I had come home. Who was this stranger that could make me feel so comfortable?

That evening the convention ended with a dance back at the chapel in Crawley, so we were directed to vehicles to take us there. I was ushered into a VW camper van which just so happened to be driven by this handsome man, James. We introduced ourselves properly and enjoyed the evening dancing with my friends to a live Caribbean steel band and eating delicious Caribbean food. I discovered James had just moved to the temple accommodation from West Wales and didn't know anyone, so I had a quick word with my mum when James dropped me home and she insisted he come for Sunday lunch the next day. So he did!

That week James met up with me and my friends when we went to the cinema, on walks, or to church. I found him to be kind, funny, and a gentleman. I also thought he had a crush on a friend of mine. But then on a Tuesday he surprised me after work and asked me on a date that Saturday. Something incredibly unexpected happened to me over the next few days, and in my soul I knew that James was it for me, he was the one I was going to marry. The sensible part of my brain told me to stop being so silly, he'd only just asked me out on a date, I hardly knew him and I had no plans to get married until I was at least in my late twenties!

That Saturday, two weeks after we met, James took me on a picnic. We talked for hours about everything and nothing; it was the first time we'd been alone together and it wasn't awkward at all. It wasn't awkward when James told me he loved me, nor when he said he knew we were going to be married. It wasn't awkward that I returned those same feelings.

However, it was awkward trying to figure out a way to tell other people. How would they understand? We kept our engagement between us for a couple of weeks. When James did ask my dad's permission to marry me, my parents took it so well, they already loved James and knew we were happy. Some people were sceptical, some predicted failure, some thought we should wait. But we knew. What was the point in waiting to start our lives together?

On the 9th of March 1996 we were married at the chapel in Crawley, then sealed at the London Temple for all eternity. Our adventure together was just beginning, it was the start of 'Us'.