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The serial bride

Adam Jacques
Sunday 15 June 2008 00:00 BST
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Pip and Tony got married in the Kensington & Chelsea registry office
Pip and Tony got married in the Kensington & Chelsea registry office

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Pip Hardy, 54, married Tony Sumner, 48, in 2005. They jointly run the website www.pilgrimprojects.co.uk

After my second marriage ended I decided that I wasn't cut out for relationships. I went into therapy but ended up having a relationship with my therapist.

With so much upheaval, meeting Tony through a friend was an unexpected joy. I lost my cynicism. And after six years of living and working together pretty much 24 hours a day, it felt appropriate to celebrate our relationship by getting married.

I've always had simple weddings – my first was a small country affair with 23 guests, and the second was a Quaker one, where I cooked all the food. But Tony hadn't been married before, so I wanted something special.

We got married in the Kensington & Chelsea registry office in west London at midday, with our friends and family watching.

I was nervous; I felt conscious of having failed with my previous marriages, and I was aware that people might think, "Well, she's done it before so she obviously doesn't take it very seriously."

Afterwards we took everybody to lunch at The Lanesborough Hotel. We had wanted something that reflected us, and we like to eat in nice places, although nothing flashy. I really felt there was something different this time and It felt good to treat the family to something so memorable.

The guests certainly all seemed to enjoy it and were genuinely pleased for us – friends have let me know in the past about relationships they weren't happy with.

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