The biggest surprise about our marriage is that Erin was out there.

I have married thriteen couples. I'm about to do a marriage next month.

But I wanted marriage for myself. I was not calculating about it. I wish I was more calculating.

If I felt in the event of a royal wedding inspired to write about people coming together in marriage or civil partnership I would just be grateful to have an idea for the poem. And if I didn't I'd ignore it.

I've exchanged messages and photos of an explicit nature with about six women over the last three years. For the most part these communications took place before my marriage though some have sadly took place after. To be clear I have never met any of these women or had physical relationships at any time.

When I talk about the importance of the institution of marriage I think of the commitment and the significance of standing in front of those closest to you and promising fidelity to your partner 'til death do you part.'

Marriage is about the most expensive way for the average man to get laundry done.

There is a big misconception about arranged marriage. Yes it can mean that you meet someone and then have to marry them but this was my mother saying 'I'm going to introduce you to so-and-so - If you don't like them fair enough.'

My parents had an arranged marriage as did so many other people when I was growing up. My father came and had a life in the United States one way and my mother had a different one and I was very aware of those things. I continue to wonder about it and I will continue to write about it.

I never thought I'd spend all my life with Gary. I suppose I was quite cynical about marriage. But with Jude I knew right from the beginning: there was an electricity I'd never felt before. It was so easy we talked for hours. It was a relief really.