Theatre Royal Winchester was delighted to welcome back a former bride – who said her vows on the theatre’s stage almost two decades ago – just days before Christmas Day to present her husband with a replacement wedding ring as a festive surprise.
On Monday 23 December, Lucy McLoughlin, 48, from Winchester, surprised her husband, Ben, 50, by asking him to join her on the theatre’s stage – where they said ‘I do’ in September 2006 – to surprise him with a new wedding ring after Ben lost his original band just six months into their marriage, while exploring the Zandvoort race circuit in the Netherlands.
This week, Lucy invited Ben back onto the stage where they married – this time in front of their sons, Jack, 16, Freddie, 14 and Joe, 10, and moments after that day’s performance of the theatre’s pantomime, Mother Goose – after Ben recently mentioned that he would like to get a new wedding ring after losing his original almost 20 years ago and never getting a replacement.
Following their conversation, Lucy contacted the jeweller, Dan Musselwhite, that had made their original bands to get one made for Ben, which Dan kindly delivered on Sunday 22 December as a very special Christmas gift.
Interestingly, Lucy and Ben’s wedding in 2006 made it onto the front page of their local newspaper, the Hampshire Chronicle, after Lucy woke up that day with food poisoning and spent the morning in hospital – but made it to the theatre, just in time, to tie the knot.
Since their wedding day, Lucy has continued to have a close relationship with the theatre, including being commissioned to paint a picture of the theatre’s auditorium featuring the venue’s last technical manager as a gift to him upon his retirement in June 2023 following more than 21 years of service.
Wedding vows also remain a big part of Lucy’s life as she now works as a live event artist, painting portraits of brides, grooms and guests live at events as they happen – from weddings to exclusive parties, plus, corporate, fashion and music events.
“After Ben lost his wedding ring we searched, but the fine sand of the Dutch dunes made it impossible to find,” explains Lucy. “Ben never got a new ring made, but a few weeks ago out of the blue, he suddenly said that he would like to have a new wedding ring. So, I went back to our jeweller, Dan Musselwhite, who made our rings, to commission a new ring for Ben.
“It feels very special, and I thought it was a lovely and fun thing to do, especially as it is Christmas. Theatre Royal Winchester is very close to our hearts – we love seeing shows here – so I am thrilled they’ve allowed us to use the stage once more for this special moment.”
Ben adds: “Apart from giving us our children, this was the most amazing thing you have ever done for me.”
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