Third time lucky: the inside track on Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds’ 2022 wedding

There had been speculation for a while now: would Boris confirm the re-instatement of big, non 30-person weddings in a bid to rush through his own long-awaited nuptials with Carrie Symonds?

Now, the word is (unofficially) out. According to reports in The Sun, the PM and his fiancée won’t celebrate their marriage until next July - two years and five months after they announced their engagement in February last year.

So where will the choose to say their vows and who will make the guest list? From the exotic venue suggestions to Dilyn the dog’s important role, here’s what we know so far.

The couple have declined to comment on their “private family event” but the buzz is naturally building. According to reports in The Sun, save-the-dates have already been sent for Saturday 30 July, 2022, and possible venues are already in the works.

The wedding will be Symonds’ first and Johnson’s third, after his marriages to Allegra Mostyn-Owen in 1987 at her family’s grade-II listed estate in Shropshire and Marina Wheeler in 1993, who was heavily pregnant at the time of their wedding.

He will be the second Prime Minister to marry while in office - 200 years after Lord Liverpool married Mary Chester in 1822.

Unsurprisingly, the PM’s Buckinghamshire bolthole, Chequers, has been tipped to host his and Symonds’ big bash, but the couple’s recent flat refurb has suggested his fiancée likes to do things a little differently to previous leaders.

Their son, Wilfred, was christened at Westminster Cathedral in September - will they opt for a central London ceremony to show off their lavish makeover at Number 11? - while insiders have suggested the knees-up could be held at Port Lympne Reserve and hotel in Kent, which is run by the conservation charity, Aspinall Foundation, for which Symonds works.

Other suggestions include a venue in Italy, where Symonds has relatives, which wouldn’t be the couple’s first exotic declaration of love. Johnson reportedly proposed on the Caribbean Island of Mustique, a trip which is now being investigated by the parliamentary standards commissioner over its funding.

Food at the wedding is likely to be organic - the couple reportedly ordered £27,000 of Daylesford takeaways over lockdown - while Symonds is said to be a fan of negronis.

Symonds has long been a champion of planet-friendly fashion and insiders are speculating she’ll opt for an boho chic eco-dress for the big day. Sustainable designer Justine Tabak is one of her go-tos, as is London fashion label Isabelle Fox, who recently designed a bespoke bridal gown using ultra-fine Italian silk chiffon. Might Symonds opt for a similar look in a nod to her Italian roots?

As for Johnson, he might need a smaller suit if he continues his weekly sessions with personal trainer Harry Jameson. By giving himself an extra 12 months, hopefully he’ll have found time to get a haircut, too.

With (at least) six children of his own, no wonder the PM was keen to dodge the 30-person limit (though at least it would have been an easy excuse not to invite scorned special adviser Dominic Cummings).

On his side of the family, Johnson’s parents, three siblings and their partners are also likely to be top of the guest list, while Symonds’ mother, Josephine McAfee, is expected to play a key role in the day after moving in with the couple in January as part of a “household bubble” to help look after their son Wilfred.

Wilfred will be 15 months old by the time of the ceremony and according to the Daily Mail, he has now met all four of Johnson’s children with Marina Wheeler.

As for the bridal party, women’s rights campaigner Nimco Ali is among Symonds’ best friends and is likely to be maid of honour. Ali is a close confidante of Symonds’ and has been pictured on multiple occasions with the couple’s dog Dilyn - will she be in charge of looking after the beloved pooch as they walk down the aisle?