A marriage made in Devon

Lee and Jessica Hodgson were married in a same-sex ceremony in Devon in April, with the help of their guide dogs. Lee describes how they tied the most accessible of knots

Jessica and I had known each other for about 16 years when our relationship blossomed.

Both of us are registered blind and met at the Royal National College for the Blind, although we hated each other at first!

We had been in a loving relationship for about six years when the government brought in the law which allowed same-sex marriages – or civil partnerships, to use its official title. So we were overjoyed when it was possible to set a date for our wedding day.

As Devon is our favourite part of the country for holidays, we contacted Newton Abbot registry office. They were most helpful, organising everything exactly as we asked. At no stage did they make either our sexuality or our blindness an issue. Most couples have a video of their wedding, but what use would that be to someone without sight? So we contacted Radio Devon’s helpline, and one of their staff kindly agreed to digitally record the ceremony and speeches at the reception. Afterwards, he put it onto a CD for us to keep as a reminder.

We held our reception and honeymoon at the Cliffden Hotel in Teignmouth, which is run by Action for Blind People.

We didn’t choose the hotel because of our sight problems, but because we love it there and knew that the staff, who are friends, would make our day and honeymoon very special.

We wanted our guide dogs to be a part of the day, so not only did we choose a suit for me and a beautiful wedding dress for Jessica – but we also bought a bow-tie for my guide dog Andy, and a big ribbon bow for Faith, Jessica’s dog, in matching colours.

In fact, the whole wedding cost a fortune, but it was well worth it.

The big day was amazing. Never once did we feel disabled or different in any way. The senior registrar at the registry office and the staff at the hotel were fabulous, treating us like any married couple.

Friends and relatives, even our guide dogs, all played a big part in making our day special.

Anyone considering getting married as a samesex couple should just go for it. Whatever disability you might have, don’t let it spoil anything. Your day can be as truly magical as ours.