Roxie and Emma tie the knot at the DH Lawrence Centre

Roxie Jarvis and Emma Taylor tied the knot at the place they used to meet when they first started dating, and said it was a ‘beautiful’ setting.

One of the rooms at the centre was recently transformed to cater for weddings, and the girls was the first same sex marriage to be held there on May 16.

“It went perfectly,” said Roxie.

“We love the beautiful old building and with it being on our doorstep it made sense to have our wedding there.

“The park it is set in means a lot to us as we used to meet there in the early days of our relationship.

“It’s really nice inside, they’ve done a great job,” added Roxie.

The couple, of Olivia Gardens, first met at Eastwood Comprehensive School as teenagers, where they dated for six months.

But after Emma, 24, moved away to Cornwall the couple were separated for years. They both went off and had families, but were reunited four years ago after chatting on MySpace.

Roxie, 25, said it felt great to be married.

“We didn’t think it would change anything but it feels like it has - the commitment side of things.

“We have proved everyone wrong because people said it wouldn’t last!”, she added.

The couple’s ceremony was followed by a reception at Langley Mill Miner’s Welfare Social Club.

Hazel Tait, area manager for registrations at Nottinghamshire County Council, said the Lawrence centre was a ‘real asset’ to the county’s handful of wedding venues and described it as ‘unique’ and a ‘hidden gem’.

“It’s a beautiful building with lovely grounds. A hidden gem,” she said.

“It’s elegant and fit for purpose. It has beautifully kept gardens and catering onsite if people wish to have a reception there. You can even have drinks and canapes upstairs in the museum.”

A wedding ceremony at the DH Lawrence Centre can cost as little as £125 for a standard ceremony and up to £300 for an enhanced ceremony, which is longer in length and can include promises, readings and music.

The ceremony room can take up to 40 guests and has undergone a complete refurbishment, giving it a light and modern look while retaining its original features.

Councillor Glynn Gilfoyle, chair of Nottinghamshire County Council’s community safety committee, said: “The centre makes a wonderful wedding venue as it is a beautiful old building set within a stunning park with a fascinating link to the world renowned DH Lawrence.”

The venue is set in parkland grounds, which offers an attractive background to any couple’s wedding photographs.

The Lawrence Centre was a previous winner of Best Visitor Attraction in Nottinghamshire.

For more information on the council’s registration service and how to book the DH Lawrence Heritage Centre, visit www.celebrateinnottinghamshire.co.uk or telephone 0300 500 80 80.

To contact the centre itself, telephone 01773 717353, email [email protected] or visit www.nottingham.ac.uk/dhlheritage