Trains on the Brain Savour the journey & travel by train

This is a momentus occasion folks. I’m delighted to finally introduce Mrs Jools’ debut appearance here on Trains on the Brain, in which she enthuses about train and railway-themed weddings, a subject close to her heart!

Railways have an inherent romance about them, so it’s no surprise that more and more people are choosing stations – and trains themselves – as a focal part of their wedding. There are all kinds of ways you can incorporate the rail theme, from hiring a chartered train to transport the guests from the ceremony to the reception, using a station or rail museum as the venue, or actually getting married on the train itself.

The train theme works particularly well with the current fashion for vintage weddings. For the perfect retro wedding photo opportunity, the 40s or 50s-style bride and groom just need to step off a steam train or hold their ceremony or reception at an old-fashioned station, such as Carnforth http://www.carnforthstation.co.uk/centre.html, where Brief Encounter, the epitome of rail romance, was filmed.

The Bluebell Railway http://www.bluebell-railway.com/weddings-and-charters/ heritage line in Sussex offers a package including a civil ceremony at one of two stations, plus a wedding breakfast on board the glamorous Golden Arrow Pullman.

Dartmouth Steam Railway http://www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk/weddings offers a similar package – a civil ceremony at one of two station venues, plus a journey on the Devon Belle, an observation carriage originally built in 1917.

For those wanting to tie the knot while travelling, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway http://www.gwsr.com/planning-your-visit/wedding-services.aspx offers an on-board ceremony.

If you want the romance of marrying on a train but prefer it to be an -ahem – stationary affair, then try the National Rail Museum in York, http://www.nrm.org.uk/VenueHire/NRMYork/weddingsandprivateevents.aspx where you can hold your ceremony in one of its historic carriages.

And of course, there’s no train more romantic than the Orient Express. While the iconic train doesn’t hold a wedding license, you can have your marriage blessed on board after your formal ceremony. It’s also the perfect setting for a wow-factor, never-to-be-forgotten marriage proposal.

But however you decide to incorporate the romance of railways – engagement, photo-shoot, ceremony, reception or transport – don’t forget to insure your journey as well as your wedding: after all, you don’t want a lack of travel insurance to derail your big day.

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