Mum with months left to live marries partner in ‘dream’ Halloween wedding

The couple tied the knot in a Pagan ceremony at Lumley Castle, complete with funeral horses and a gothic black gown.

A bride with just months left to live has enjoyed her dream wedding on Halloween.

Emma Kasher, 37, from Stanley, has terminal cancer and desperately hoped to marry partner Graham Simonelli, 54, before she died.

But thanks to the kindness of strangers, the couple tied the knot yesterday in a Pagan ceremony at Lumley Castle, Durham, complete with funeral horses and a gothic black gown.

The mum-of-one had previously worried bout being a ‘deathbed bride’ due to the her rapidly deteriorating condition.

She said: ‘I’ve been really looking forward to this day, I was so worried it wouldn’t happen because I’ve been in hospital again recently.

‘I didn’t want to be a deathbed bride, I wasn’t going to let myself be wheeled in to the ceremony covered in tubes.

‘My bridesmaids have been absolutely marvellous, they’ve helped me get everything ready. I’ve been in agony with my illness but I’ve been running on pure adrenaline just to get to the day.’

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Emma’s cancer was first discovered when she had her ruptured breast implants removed.

Doctors quickly discovered that the cancer had spread to her lungs, lymph nodes, spine and coccyx, and she was given just a year to live.

She had met partner Graham when he moved from the North East to London, with the pair bonding over their mutual love of dogs.

The couple had already started planning their wedding, but decided to speed things along after Emma’s diagnosis.

She said: ‘It means the world to me that I’ve made it to this day and I get to have my dream wedding.

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‘I’ve been through hell, I’ve been dealt a really bad hand but at least I get this day.’

Emma and Graham were only able to have the wedding thanks to donations and help from the Solan Connor Fawcett Family Cancer Trust.

Lumley Castle also slashed their prices for the couple, entertainment was offered free of charge and a Pagan celebrant performed a traditional hand fastening ceremony.

Emma thanked the ‘good Samaritans’ who came forward with ‘offers of help’ adding that it ‘wouldn’t have been possible without them’.

The wedding was attended by many friends she had lost touch with over the years.

She also added that her 14-year-old son Kieran looked ‘gorgeous’ in his suit.