'The icing on the cake' - couple seal marriage with ceremony at Glastonbury Festival 2023

The couple have known each other for more than 25 years. Credit: PA Images

A couple who have been to every Glastonbury for the last nine years say they have "finally sealed" their marriage in a hand-tying ceremony at the festival.

Stuart Beauchamp, 49, and his wife Anna Stevens, 44, have been married for four weeks, but decided to do a handfasting ceremony, which is an ancient practice that sees couples tie their wrists together with cloth to declare their commitment to each other. They called it the "icing on the cake".

The couple, who have known each other for more than 25 years, said they felt "blessed" to be able to put their own stamp on their married life together.

"It was really good. I didn’t know what to expect, but it was amazing," Ms Stevens said.

The ancient practice sees couples tie their wrists together with cloth to declare their commitment. Credit: PA Images

The couple, who first met in a Birmingham nightclub in 1998 have attended the world-famous festival every year over the last decade, which they dub "the best festival of all time".

"It’s a place to be free and just do what you want… no-one bats an eyelid," Mr Beauchamp said.

The pair carried out the ceremony in style, fitted in clothing suited for the Day of the Dead festival held in Mexico every year to remember loved ones who have passed away.

Mr Beauchamp was dressed in a black suit with white details, an oversized bowtie and a large, black sombrero, while Ms Stevens donned a black corset with a red skirt, a flower headpiece and a black veil.

It comes as a man from Hull was filmed proposing to his girlfriend at the festival yesterday.

Mr Beauchamp said: "We dressed as Day of the Dead a couple of years back at Glastonbury so we thought it (would) be fitting to do bride and groom Day of the Dead."

The celebrant, Glenda Procter from the Forest of Dean, has been doing handfasting at Glastonbury for more than a decade to offer a personalised and "very intimate ceremony for couples."

She said: "I think couples truly experience something very intimate, and very personal. And for them this ceremony is all about love."

"All sorts of things happen at Glastonbury and it’s a very special place for couples."

Glastonbury Festival's headline acts officially starts later today, with the Arctic Monkeys set to perform on the Pyramid Stage on Friday night.