Angela Spenley, 47, a business coach, and Simon Roberts, 47, managing director of a manufacturing company, were married on June 30, 2021 at the Isles of Scilly Register Office on St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly
Angela and Simon had moved their wedding date twice due to Covid and, as the rules kept changing, were struggling to agree on the basics. He recalls his frustration and eventual tipping point: “How do you word an invitation that says ‘If it’s 30, you’re welcome. If it’s 15, you haven’t made the cut’?”
In the end, they decided to escape, just the two of them, plus Hector, their Patterdale terrier, to get married on the Isles of Scilly, where they had booked their honeymoon. “We had 48 hours of frantic organising,” says Simon. “The hardest part was telling our families.”
Angela put together a slide show so their parents could see what their day would look like and to reassure them that they would be there via Zoom. “We’re not in our twenties, we’re in our forties, but it still doesn’t make it any easier,” he says.
The couple met via Tinder, the dating app, in 2016. They both described themselves as James Bond fans. Their first date was at a French restaurant in Cheltenham. “We talk for a living,” he says. “She laughed at all my jokes. She was this whirlwind of energy.”
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Simon had never had a dog, so it was an adjustment for him and Hector, who was Angela’s puppy. “Simon is so thoughtful and such a gentleman,” she says. “He makes Hector and I feel very safe, cared for and looked after. We feel like we’re his number one.”
In 2018 they moved into a rented house in Cheltenham and, the following year, bought a property. Simon is a golfer and cyclist. He travelled much of the year in his role as a company managing director. Since lockdown, they have been working from home.
“We’re both incredibly stubborn,” says Simon. Angela is fiery; he tends to be cautious. “We team everything,” he says. “We just work it through together.” He enjoys her lust for life. “She always looks on the bright side of everything. She is so upbeat.”
Angela is a business coach and doing an MBA in leadership. The older of her two younger brothers lives in America. His two daughters helped her to steer Simon towards marriage. They would quiz him: “When are you and Auntie Angela getting married?” In 2019 Simon proposed on a trip to visit her brother in California. Simon had intended to propose on Angela’s birthday on December 12, but “chickened out”. She was confused the next day when he asked if she was superstitious about Friday the 13th. That evening, in a corner of the bar at their hotel, he pulled out a Tiffany ring.
They booked to get married at the Malmaison hotel in Cheltenham in November 2020. By August of that year, they had moved the date to June 26, 2021. By March this year, they realised that the venue, which had been chosen for a winter wedding and had no outside space, would not be suitable, so settled on the Isles of Scilly instead.
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“We felt relief and the excitement of an adventure,” says Angela. On June 26 they celebrated with a family dinner for 15 and wedding speeches at Malmaison. They are planning a party at the hotel next August. Their mothers, Simon’s two sisters, and eventually Simon, helped to choose Angela’s Suzanne Neville gown. He wore a Hermès tie with “H” for Hector on it to go with his blue Hugo Boss suit.
Neither of them had been to the Isles of Scilly but were inspired by a TV episode of Cornwall and Devon Walks with Julia Bradbury. They drove to Penzance in their camper van and took the ferry to St Mary’s, the main island, before making their way to Karma St Martin’s, a luxury hotel on one of the smaller islands.
The sun shone on their wedding day as they were taken by speedboat to the register office on St Mary’s. Angela carried a bouquet of white agapanthus, which are prevalent on the island. Hector stayed at the hotel as he had not shown much enthusiasm for boats. Their families joined them via Zoom for the 3.30pm ceremony.
On the boat back to St Martin’s, the newlyweds were taken to see Wally the Walrus who had been touring the UK coastline and boarding boats in the area. They had arranged for Robin Bradshaw, their photographer, to capture special moments, including a crowd cheering from the jetty as their boat drew in.
The couple changed into shorts and T-shirts for their wedding breakfast, which was served in the honeymoon suite. “It couldn’t have been more perfect,” says Angela. They stayed on the island for a few more days before picking up their camper van and continuing their honeymoon camping around Cornwall.
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“Being married feels different,” says Angela. “It’s a closer bond. It’s an official team. We are now the Roberts team.”