Romantic couple set to elope in Stratford

Stratford has been gripped by an air of romantic nostalgia with residents flocking to offer help to a young Tewkesbury couple planning to elope in the town in October.

Anya Maltsberger and Jack Warren are set to tie the knot on 7 October, but an appeal for witnesses and for a wedding photographer, prompted an outpouring of support on social media.

Anya, originally from Texas, and Jack, met whilst studying at York University in 2018, but had been maintaining a long-distance relationship for some time afterwards.

However with this year’s lockdown, the couple have seen more of each other that ever living together in Tewkesbury, a situation they say has made them blissfully happy.

Anya said: “We are planning a bigger ceremony in Summerset 2021 where we’ll have our friends and family, but with everything that’s happened this year we wanted to try something big and bold and get married in Stratford, it’s our way of reclaiming the year.

“We live in Tewkesbury, but Stratford is definitely a place on our bucket list, Jack is a massive Shakespeare nerd and I’ve got a masters in medieval history, so it just seemed the perfect place for us.

“When we put it up on Facebook the reaction was amazing, it was so overwhelming and positive.”

Jack added: “It was nice to see people of all ages offering help or wishing us well, I suppose people just like the old fashioned romantic idea of a couple eloping, it just makes people happy.

“We’re going to go up to Stratford on the bus, just the pair of us, we’ll check into an Airbnb an hour before the ceremony and we’re meeting the photographer at the registry office on Henley Street, we might go for a meal afterwards.”

Jack and Anya have now found witnesses and a photographer for the ceremony on 7 October, but would like to thank everyone who offered to help.

Anyone who wants to offer their best wishes to Jack and Anya are welcome to do so after the ceremony, which takes place at 2pm.