Mud-loving Combe couple set for 247-year history making wedding

A mud-loving couple from Combe had reason more than most to celebrate when Boris Johnson revealed the roadmap back to a life more closely resembling normality…

Their ‘history making’ wedding ceremony - the first ever to be held at the iconic Belvedere Tower at Powderham Castle in its 247 year history - can go ahead as planned this May.

And the honour of the ‘history first’ date will go to a former gamekeeper to the Royal Family who met his now fiancée whilst online dating with Muddy Matches.

Mark Perry, who served on the royal Sandringham estate for over 30 years, unearthed rural romance with Jemma Page whilst online dating with Muddy Matches – the UK’s original home of countryside dating - two years ago.

Then, just 5 months after matching online with Muddy Matches, and just days before the first lockdown was instructed in March 2020, the couple got engaged. The proposal came after Jemma had upped sticks 200 miles to bubble up with Mark in the East Devon countryside as speculation of a national lockdown picked up pace.

Jemma said: “We celebrated our engagement with family and friends over Zoom and we had to wait 3 months for things to open up again so I could collect an engagement ring. So, I am thrilled to say that, after Boris’ roadmap being revealed, that our muddy wedding will go ahead as planned on May 27th.

“This is the second wedding for both of us; so, we agreed an intimate day with very close friends and family is right for us.

“Lockdown has been great in giving us yet more time to plan, but if nothing had changed or numbers had gone down to 6 again, we will still have gone ahead”.

Their wedding ceremony at the iconic Belvedere Tower has drawn attention worldwide and will feature in a TV documentary on Romantic British estates and castles to appear on television across America.

“Our wedding will be televised on Smithsonian TV. The producer couldn’t believe his luck that our wedding is the week they are there filming, so the film crew (under strict instructions to make no noise) will film the ceremony and interview us during the week beforehand.”

And, staying close to their rural roots that matched them on Muddy Matches, the Devon-based couple will guarantee their big day has muddy touches with all guests being transported by tractor, from the deer park to the 18th century tower.

The reception will take place at the Folly at the Pig Hotel in Combe where groom-to-be Mark is head groundman.