Ex Emmerdale star Natalie Anderson surprises husband with romantic wedding vow renewal in Maldives
EX Emmerdale actress Natalie Anderson has renewed her wedding vows in the Maldives – and it was so top secret, even her husband was in the dark.
The 40 year-old surprised her hubby James Shepherd with a romantic ceremony while on holiday in Velassaru.
The ceremony took place on 28 May, just days before the couple’s wedding anniversary on June 6.
Natalie managed to plan the whole thing without James knowing and roped in nine year-old son Freddie to help with the surprise.
He hand delivered a letter to his dad telling him to get ready for the beach ceremony, which took place with just the three of them in attendance.
Natalie told Hello!: “How James didn’t know is beyond me.
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“It was so magical and so intimate with it just being the three of us. It was absolutely perfect and all I dreamt it would be.”
Natalie wore a beautiful white gown by Dutch designer Modeca with a plunging neckline and a floral head piece.
“I knew I wanted something that was simple, that I could wear without shoes, that was beachy with a lovely silhouette and just different to my wedding dress,” Natalie said.
James donned a white shirt and matching shorts and went barefoot, as did Freddie who wore an identikit outfit to his dad.
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Quite by accident, the colour scheme of the wedding ended up matching the Platinum Jubilee back home, as there was a red, white and blue theme.
The wedding outfits were white, while the local islanders who officiated the ceremony wore the traditional colours of the island – red and blue.
There were also rose petals which were thrown into the sky.
The pair first wed fourteen years ago in Yorkshire.
Natalie famously played Alicia Metcalfe in Emmerdale from 2010-2015, and now has a recurring role in Hollyoaks as Lexi Calder.
Three days ago Natalie posted a family snap on instagram and while she did not mention the vow renewal, she hinted something special had happened.
She wrote: “Goodnight on the Maldives.Thank you @velassarumaldives for making our stay so special. Faisal, Myla, Brett and your fantastic teams have made us feel like family…we are so sad to leave. Thank you for celebrating our birthdays with us, this trip has been everything we hoped it would be!”