martine mccutcheon and jack mcmanus

Exclusive: Martine McCutcheon reveals wedding disaster that left her on fire

The couple got married in Lake Como in 2012

Deputy Lifestyle Editor
January 24, 2022

Martine McCutcheon has shared a handful of sweet throwbacks of her magical 2012 wedding day to Jack McManus, but none of them revealed the major mishap that happened at their wedding reception.

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Speaking exclusively to HELLO! during our Christmas Digital Cover shoot, the Love Actually star reassured future brides, "There's always something that goes wrong." And in Martine's case, her mistake left her veil on fire! When asked about whether she would change anything about her nuptials, the actress said: "I wish we'd have practised talking in the microphone because my husband set my veil on fire when he put the microphone down on the table, then I had to reach over the candelabra to reach the microphone and get it. 

WATCH: Martine McCutcheon previously revealed her romantic anniversary celebrations

"And you literally see someone's hands in the video, like putting out the fire on my veil. So I wish we'd gone through the vows. But if there's any equipment involved… when you do your vows, you just think you're going to say to them, to each other, and that's it. And then when there's a microphone, you feel like you're doing a gig. And all of a sudden, Jack didn't quite know what to do with the microphone."

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So what advice does Martine have for brides-to-be planning their big day? She added: "I would say, enjoy the process and nothing's ever perfect on the big day. There's always something that goes wrong, and I wish that I'd enjoyed the build up a little bit more and just laughed along the way more. And remember that ultimately, it's about, you and your other half saying that you're going to be together forever. 

Martine and Jack tied the knot in 2012

"It's not about family politics, it's not about who's got the best dress or the best location. It's about you saying I do and you're going to be there for each other, just remember that because it's so easy to get caught up in the circus feel."

The couple got married in Lake Como in 2012 and their wedding was exclusively covered by HELLO! magazine. Martine was a beautiful bride in her lace Pronovias gown and floor-length veil – which was picture-perfect as the pair posed for photos underneath a white flower arch before the fire incident. 

© Photo: Instagram

The bride revealed she set her veil on fire

At the time, Martine said: "We are best friends as well as lovers and totally supportive of one another. We feel that we can conquer anything the world throws at us as long as we have each other, and that's a rare thing. In a world where everything is so disposable, isn't it lovely to do something that has that optimism of, 'Yes, we're going to last the distance.'"

The couple have been married for almost ten years and have welcomed son Rafferty, but they haven't ruled out having another celebration as a family. Speaking of their tenth anniversary plans, Martine continued: "We might go back to Lake Como just with Rafferty and maybe do something tiny and then do a big party when we come back. Or we might take some family there, I don't know. But whatever happens, we will definitely celebrate. 

© Photo: Instagram

The couple plan to renew their vows in front of their family for their tenth wedding anniversary

"We love to celebrate things in our family. My mum's a big believer, she's had it handed down to her from her great auntie, that your life basically at the end of it all, it's all about the memories that you make, and you have to make an effort to put a stamp on those memories that you remember them and you've made an effort to enjoy things. 

"It's so easy to look back at all the obstacles, and if you don't celebrate the wins, then what's the point? And so, yeah, we'll definitely make sure we celebrate."

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