Download Festival: Wedding celebration for couple at rock event

A couple who "live and breathe" Download Festival enjoyed a humanist wedding celebration there after meeting at the rock and metal event in 2008.

The service for Lauren and Jamie McAloon, from Glasgow, was held in front of the main stage on Friday.

Mrs McAloon said they go every year - in 2011 they got engaged, in 2015 she went while pregnant, and took their eldest child in 2018 and 2019.

Celebrant Karen Faulkner said: "It was perfect for them."

The service was not legally binding, but the couple intend to host a follow-up event in Scotland, where humanist weddings have been recognised in law since 2005.

The festival in Leicestershire went ahead with a significantly reduced capacity of 10,000 after the government gave organisers the go-ahead for it to be a test event.

Mrs McAloon said they were supposed to get married in Donington last year and then go to Download, but it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"As soon as the pilot was announced it was a bit like, 'this is going to happen'," she said.

"We drove from Glasgow to Donington, put the tent up, I put my dress on and we got married."

She said they had a small ceremony that lasted 10 minutes, and while the celebration was being held the crowd got bigger and bigger.

"People were shouting and cheering. I saw one person crying," said the 32-year-old.

"After we got married, we got a beer, watched a band and had a good time.

"It was the perfect wedding reception - the first time watching live music for so long in a field of people."

Mrs McAloon, who wore a black velvet dress including a waist belt with the Download dog on for the wedding, said they "live and breathe" Download.

"It is the highlight of our year. It means absolutely everything.

"We have Download tattoos," she added.

"Nothing stops us from going to Download so we were so thankful when the pilot was announced."

The couple who have two daughters - Jessica, nine, and Charlotte, five - said they were not able to take the youngsters this year as it was a pilot event but "will definitely go next year as a family of four".

Humanist ceremonies are not legal in England and Wales, and couples need to have an additional ceremony at a register office in order to be legally married.

Celebrant Ms Faulkner added: "It was perfect for them because their love story is there.

"It was so right for them to have it there. It was completely about them. It was a privilege to be involved in something so special."

The couple plan to hold a larger humanist event with family and friends in Scotland later this year, which Ms Faulkner said will make the union legally binding.

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