Brooks had been accompanying Farrant, owner of Northampton agency Footsteps Travel, on a group trip when he got down on one knee, prompting the couple to start thinking about a wedding.
“I was looking at options and saw a two-night repositioning cruise from Southampton to Liverpool and thought it was a good idea to get married on it, because we enjoy cruising so much,” Farrant told TTG.
The agent then put her plans to Fred Olsen, who said they were happy to host the festivities for the happy couple – and 82 of their nearest and dearest – over a weekend last month.
“We got onboard on Saturday (20 May) straight after getting married at the registry office in Southampton – Fred Olsen’s staff had thrown us a drink reception, giving us the suite as a surprise,” she said.
The couple then proceeded to renew their vows in a ceremony on Sunday officiated by the ship’s captain who, Farrant said, “was really quite nervous” as only small weddings had previously taken place onboard Fred Olsen vessels.
According to Farrant, the Sunday ceremony was completely “stress-free” as the cruise line took care of every detail, from flowers and decorations to getting the string trio to play all of her favourite songs.
“They took care of absolutely everything,” Farrant added. “If you think about it, two hours before I was sitting in a hot tub drinking pina coladas, there was no stress involved at all.
“We didn’t have all the stress that goes along with a wedding, because I knew the food service was going to be five-star anyways.”
Her comments were echoed by the ship’s hotel manager, Iain Gibson, who said the atmosphere throughout “was filled with fun and happiness for the newlyweds and it was a very proud moment for all of us on Borealis."
Farrant told TTG she loved her wedding so much she would not only only recommend it to others, but to her clients too, revealing how she has since received enquiries from people asking whether she would organise their weddings too.
