Married on 30 May 2007 in Ezkurra, Navarra

Lived happily ever after

Marriage English Style

Meet the right person
Fall in love
Propose
Post the Banns 
Spend fortune on venue, clothes, flowers, cake (optional)
Get married
Speeches, toasts, marquee, disco, fights (optional)
Honeymoon 
Live happily ever after

Marriage Basque Style

Meet the right person.

Fall in love.

Struggle to create a relationship whilst flitting between the Chilterns and the Basque Country for 4 years.

She gives up job, home and country and moves into cobwebby, unheated, remote mountain hovel and helps feed rabbits, ducks, chickens, kittens and Dog, weed vegetable patch, light wood-burning stove, carry logs, collect eggs, water green house, harvest apples and walnuts, also washes, irons, cooks, sews.

He learns what is meant by ‘commitment’.
It is agreed that ‘the first Saturday after Hell freezes over’ is too vague a wedding date.
Accept chances of Lord Lucan arriving on Shergar and Elvis being Best Man are rapidly diminishing.

He realises that selfish, confirmed bachelor status is unlikely to lead to long-term relationship. 

Propose on her birthday. The engagement ring doubles as a birthday present.

Ask Mayor of Ezkurra, Martín, to perform ceremony.

After weeks of procrastination finally get details from Mayor of all the birth certificates, residents’ permits, divorce court papers, legal documents, passport photographs he thinks may be required. 
Travel to Bilbao to make sworn declaration before British Consul-General.
Post the Banns. 
Have documents legalised by the Foreign Office in London.
Have them translated by Official Translator in Pamplona.
Mayor submits documents to Judge in Pamplona for approval.
Some documents approved, others discarded, more required.
Acquire, legalise, translate fresh documents.
Travel to Bilbao to make another sworn declaration as previous one has now expired.
Mayor finally granted permission to perform ceremony. 
Decide to forewarn friends and relatives that a simple, informal wedding ceremony will take place in the Mayor’s office in Ezkurra some time in early May next year. 

Get married.

Have fizz and pintxos afterwards in the village bar with locals and those intrepid friends and relatives who have found their own way to Ezkurra. 

Head off with our gourmet guests for a splendid luncheon in Mugaritz, a Michelin starred restaurant in the hills overlooking San Sebastian.

In lieu of wedding presents, guests split lunch bill amongst themselves.

All go home.

Can’t go on honeymoon till arthritic, incontinent, old Dog has given up the ghost.

 Notice Dog has gained new lease of life in mountain air so realise, as Dog could last forever, honeymoon will have to be delayed. 

Dog enters that Great Kennel in the Sky with the help of Raquel, the Dog Killer.

Honeymoon in Mauritius

Live happily ever after!

If there is such a thing as a good marriage, it is because it resembles friendship rather than love.

Michel Eyquem de Montaigne