Same-sex couple to become the first in Coventry, Nuneaton and Bedworth to officially get married in church

Lovebirds are set to make history when they become the first same-sex couple to tie the knot in church in the Coventry, Nuneaton and Bedworth area.

Helen McGonigle and Tracey Ormerod will become the area's first Mrs and Mrs to get officially married at Ansty Road United Reformed Church on Saturday (August 17).

The couple, who have been together for 12 years, had wanted to get married in Nuneaton - but no church had a certificate to conduct the ceremony.

"We already knew that we couldn't get married in a Church of England church because the law hasn't been passed yet, so my partner was literally Googling 24/7, looking for places," said Helen, who is 41.

"We didn't want to get married at a registry office, we said 'we are only going to do it once, we want to it properly'.

"I messaged a minister in Nuneaton, they said they did not have a certificate for same-sex marriages yet but told me to get in touch with Craig Muir at Ansty Road.

"Me, being me, messaged him and when he said he could marry us, I said 'you can actually marry us - an actual marriage not a civil service' I kept asking the same question because I couldn't quite believe it.

"So, we are going to be the first same-sex couple to get married in church in Nuneaton, Bedworth and Coventry."

Fittingly, as they managed to find a place to get married via the internet, it was thanks to the web the couple, who live in Grove Road, Stockingford, first found love.

"I was on an NTL chat site and we became friends, this was before I came out as a lesbian," Helen explained.

"Tracey said she wanted to come to Nuneaton to see what the nightlife was like  so I said 'Why don't you stop at mine' and we pretty much haven't been separated since.

"She actually proposed to me two weeks after we got together, we knew that we wanted a long engagement and then some friends of ours got married last year and we both said 'come on, lets do it'."

The couple found out that they could get married in church just before Christmas last year and have been busy organising their big day ever since.

"I  would have liked to have been married at the same church where my mum and dad and nan and grandad got married in, St Paul's Church in Stockingford, but that was just not possible," Helen said.

"But now we are able to get married in a church, which is what we wanted and we can't wait."

Watch: When Strictly aired its first same-sex dance

They share four children, three from Helen's previous relationships and a donor baby they had together, who will form part of the wedding party.

They tie the knot at 4pm and then will head back to Nuneaton for their reception at the Pavilion in Stockingford.

  

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