It may have started out a gloomy autumn day on 16 October, but when Kym Marsh and her new husband Scott Ratcliff stepped out of the doors of the Royal Memorial Chapel at Sandhurst following their gorgeous wedding ceremony, the sun shone down on them.
The newlyweds were treated to a military parade, where Scott’s army buddies drew their swords into an arch for the couple to walk underneath before sharing a romantic kiss at the end.
Kym, 45, couldn’t have looked more like a princess in her sweeping Carolina Herrera gown, while Army Major Scott, 33, looked handsome in his uniform. After Scott proposed in July, the pair sped up their nuptials as Kym’s dad, Dave, 76, has been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer.
“There were tears when he walked me down the aisle and when I gave him a kiss as he sat down – there were lots of tears surrounding my dad that day,” Kym reveals.
There was also a huge bridal party – which Scott jokingly called “Kym Marsh’s entourage” – including Kym’s children David, 26, Emilie, 24, and Polly, 10, along with Scott’s daughter Renee, six, and Kym’s grandson, Teddy, two.
Kym’s former Coronation Street co-star, Alison King, acted as one of the bridesmaids, while her team of “groomsmen” included actor Antony Cotton, who first introduced the couple back in 2018.
The religious ceremony featured personalised touches from the couple, including a romantic poem Scott had written for Kym while on a tour of Afghanistan, which was read out by Scott’s dad, and a poem about friendship from Kym’s brother.
For their reception, the lovebirds enjoyed fizz and canapés in Sandhurst’s Indian Army Memorial Room where they mingled with their 152 day guests – which included more of Kym’s Corrie pals, Danny Foster from Hear’Say and her Morning Live co-stars Gethin Jones and Janette Manrara. Guests then headed down to a marquee in the grounds where they tucked into prawn cocktails, chicken supreme and sticky toffee pudding before the speeches began.
Romantic as ever, Scott made a moving speech about Kym, while the bride also rose to her feet to give a string of acknowledgments. Kym’s dad had everyone in tears, too with his hilarious speech. After dinner, another 71 evening guests joined, and Kym’s daughter Emilie sang Scott’s favourite country ballad for the first dance. The military themed cake was then cut, before everyone took to the dance floor.
“It really was the best day ever. It was exactly what we hoped it would be and more,” Kym tells us.
Here, we get the lowdown on their emotional big day, talk future plans and why they won’t be having any more children…
Congratulations both! What was your highlight from the day?
Kym : Walking down the aisle with my dad. I wanted him to walk me and he managed to do the entire length of the aisle, which I didn’t expect him to do. When I saw Scott and how handsome he was in his uniform, it was just like, “Wow”.
Scott: The bridesmaids walked up to me so I gave them a hug, then when I looked up, Kym was already halfway down the aisle. Her dress was huge! She looked so elegant, I was stunned for words.
Tell us more about your dress…
Kym: It was made by Carolina Herrera. It was tightly fitted to the bodice and then at the back it was all beads and pearls. Then it went out in a big A-line. It had pockets in it, which I loved as I was able to put bits in for the day! It had a huge bow on the back – but it was understated. It was a dress that made an impact, but not over the top.
Scott: It was the type of dress you could imagine Cinderella wearing to a ball.
And did you feel like a princess, Kym?
Kym : I did! I loved it from the first time I put it on.
Did the kids and grandkids all have roles?
Kym : Yep, they were all in the bridal party. Emilie was my chief bridesmaid. David was one of Scott’s ushers. My daughter Polly was chief of the little bridesmaids. And we had Scott’s little girl Renee, and my granddaughter, also called Polly, as flower girls and Teddy as my page boy.
Scott: You’re calling it the bridal party, but really it was Kym Marsh’s entourage! (laughs)
Kym: With the last 18 months, I just thought now is the time to show them how much I appreciate them all.
Kym, you were wearing a necklace with a cherub… What was the meaning behind that?
Kym: David, Emilie and Polly bought it for me as a Mother’s Day present to symbolise Archie (Kym’s late son who died in 2009). I never take it off and I really wanted to wear it as it represents Archie. The other thing we did was have yellow roses dotted around . Yellow wasn’t a part of the day at all. But the yellow rose is Archie’s flower, so we decided we’d put them around the place to symbolise him.
Did you have any special moments with your dad before you walked down the aisle?
Kym: We shared the car journey together and I held his hand and we had a chat. He said I looked beautiful. Both he and mum were so excited. He said it’s the wedding they couldn’t wait for as they adore Scott, and he was happy to give me away to him.
Not many people can get married at Sandhurst – did it feel special?
Scott: You have to have been a commissioned officer in order to use the Royal Memorial Chapel. It was special for both of us. I was in that chapel 12 years ago on the day I was commissioned into the British Army. Before Kym came in, we lit candles for loved ones who were no longer with us.
And Scott’s dad read out one of Scott’s poems…
Kym : He wrote it for me when he was away in Afghanistan on his second tour. He writes poetry for me when he’s away, which he has done from the beginning.
Scott: It’s called Drift Back Home and is about me closing my eyes and just connecting with Kym and imagining what she is doing.
So romantic! What are your wedding rings like?
Scott : Kym wanted diamonds on the band and we stumbled across one with a double bank of diamonds across it. My ring is black zirconium, but 80% of the outside of the ring is wrapped in gibeon meteorite. The ring is called the pegasus, which is the flash for the Airborne Brigade. Inside my band it says “Ratty and Marshy” and our wedding date.
We see you had lots of your Corrie pals there!
Kym : Yes. Alison King was a bridesmaid as she’s one of my best pals. Jane Danson, Tristan Gemmill, Chris Gascoyne, Sally-Anne Matthews and Ryan Prescott, too. Antony Cotton was Master of Ceremonies, so he was part of the bridal party – he’s very special as he introduced us. Carol Vorderman was there. We've been friends a long time after meeting through Pride Of Britain and grew really close during lockdown. The Morning Live family were all there too.
How did it feel to have showbiz pals at your wedding, Scott?
Scott: While there were famous people there, there wouldn’t have been a para in the room who was overawed by it. Paras tend to love themselves! We also had a Falklands Veteran with us too, who will always hold celebrity status in our eyes. I knew it would work well.
Kym: Everyone there were our close friends.
Scott: When you look at the Marsh family, the Ratcliffe family, a bunch of military personnel and a group of actors… there are no shrinking violets in the crowd! It was a great party.
How did the speeches go?
Scott : Kym’s dad’s speech was hilarious and emotional. Antony (Cotton) also gave a toast to Service People, which was a lovely touch.
Kym: Dad received a standing ovation before he even started, because of the courage and strength it took him to do the job he did that day. There was so much respect for him in the room.
Were there tears, too?
Kym: There were tears when he walked me down the aisle and when I gave him a kiss when he sat down – there were lots of tears surrounding my dad that day. Everyone who knows us, knows how close I am to my dad.
Scott : He picked up on that and said in his speech, “It has been an emotional day and even the cake is in tears.” Top dad joke!
What about Scott’s speech?
Kym: Scott’s speech blew me away, especially when he said “While I think I love you today, I know with absolute certainty that I’ll love you more tomorrow”. He has a way with words.
Scott: I also gave a huge chunk of the speech to the bridesmaids because of how important they are to Kym.
Kym: Before Scott spoke Antony (Cotton who was Master of Ceremonies) handed me the mic and told me I had to say a few words. I wasn’t expecting it and hadn’t prepared anything so I ended up just doing the thank yous! Now I really regret not saying anything about Scott.
In many ways I feel like Scott saved me. I got to a point where I’d been so unlucky in love over the years. Scott and I are so different to anything else I’ve ever known and it’s strange as neither of us were looking for love when we fell for each other. He is my best friend and loves me no matter what. He’s always so supportive and loving to me – I wish I’d stood up and said that, but I’m saying it now!
Emilie sang your first dance…
Scott: It was a country song called Then by Brad Paisley. Emilie sang it fabulously.
Kym: We were so blown away by that. Halfway through, she called everyone on to the dance floor and we all had a dance together. I didn’t dance with Dad though as he was too tired by then. After the first dance we had the most incredible blues band called Tommy T and the BelleTones.
Does it feel different being married?
Scott : I was convinced that it wouldn’t feel any different because what we were doing felt so right. But I was wrong. It feels amazing. I love being married to Kym.
Kym: I love being married to Scott too. Every so often he turns to me and goes, “Marshy, I have a wedding ring!”
Will you change your name, Kym?
Kym: I will, but only for personal use. For work, I’ll remain as Marsh.
Do you have plans for a honeymoon?
Scott: We’ve got a week off in December, but we’re not sure where we’ll go yet. We want an island with a bit of quiet so we can just enjoy each other’s company.
You had to take some time off work for anxiety attacks recently, Kym. How are you doing now?
Kym : It’s better. It’s not completely right yet and I still do have my moments. It was coming for a while but it came to a head when dad got sick. There’s a lot of people who rely on me in my life and it’s a huge responsibility. I’ve always just got on with it. But when you think about all the things that have gone on over the years – losing my son and various other things – I’ve never taken a proper break so I’ve taken some time out but I’m looking forward to going back to work now.
Have you been getting the right support?
Kym : I’m on the right path and I’ve got the support of my family and friends. Morning Live were amazing, too. And I’ve got Scott. He had to deal with me when I was at my lowest, I honestly had a big meltdown and I don’t know what I’d have done had he not been there to pick me up.
What hopes do you have for your marriage going forward?
Kym : As a couple, we don’t want more children. I’m 45 and I can’t physically have any myself anyway due to a procedure I had done several years ago.. We considered adoption at one point but we’re just so busy.
Scott: One of us would have to give up work. We’ve got Polly and Renee, who are only 10 and six, so we do have young children. We want to focus on them.
Are you planning on moving?
Scott:The family home will be in the Cheshire area, because that’s where the bulk of the family are. It’s a good halfway point between lots of places I’m likely to work, my family in Scotland, and my daughter who lives on the south coast.
Would you ever move to army accommodation, Kym?
Kym: I don’t want to disrupt my daughter and change her schools. Maybe when she’s left school it might be something we’d consider. We’re happy with how it works right now.
Kym and Scott asked their guests not to buy wedding presents and instead make a donation to be split between Prostate Cancer UK and Macmillan. They raised over £4,000.
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