We lost a brother and a best friend. But found each other

Joe and Hollie wanted Josh to be part of the “big day”. They both share a special bond and love for him. (Lel Hurst Photography)

WHEN Joe and Hollie Edmonds exchanged their wedding vows before family and friends, they did so in front of a framed picture of a smiling young man.

The photograph was both a sad reminder of a terrible loss and a heartwarming reminder of how they found love.

For when Joe’s younger brother and Hollie’s best friend, Josh, died in a road accident, aged just 22, it was partly the pain of losing him that brought them together.

So when the couple married they decided it would be fitting if Josh was a major part of their big day.

As well as the beautiful framed picture of Josh on display, some of his ashes were scattered under a newly-planted apple tree.

Josh’s mum Jane Harris, originally from Troon, said: “We were all very comfortable including Josh and we felt it was a healthy way to approach the day rather than edit him out of the ceremony. He was centre stage.

“Joe and Hollie feel really strongly that Josh is a massive part of their lives and always will be, so it was about keeping that bond and relationship going.

“Just because someone has died doesn’t mean they are no longer a part of your life.”

After Josh died while on holiday in Vietnam six years ago, Jane and husband Jimmy realised the way they were dealing with their grief and heartbreak made others uncomfortable. Rather than shy away from talking about their son, they made a point of keeping him a constant presence in their lives.

This approach led the couple to set up an award-winning website in his honour, Beyond Goodbye, establish a charity called The Good Grief Project and produce a film, A Love That Never Dies, examining how people deal with bereavement.

“We were very open about our grief and people found it strange,” Jane continued. “That stiff upper lip way, keeping it to yourself and not expressing the pain, wasn’t for us.

“Joe and Hollie coming together is a very healthy outcome from that. When they announced they were marrying we were beside ourselves with happiness. Their marriage demonstrates that good things can come out of sad times.”