Featured Image Credit: SWNS
Topics: Sex and Relationships
Emma Guinness
A woman has opened up about her decision to marry a traveller and agree that 'what he says goes'.
Holly Joyce, 27, first contacted her now-husband, Dougie Joyce, 34, on Instagram when he liked her pictures.
Things progressed to speaking online before they went on to meet in Manchester in March 2020, with Dougie admitting that he knew he would 'marry her' within hours.
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While Dougie had dated non-traveller women before, Holly had never dated a traveller, and her friends were worried that his life was 'too different'.
They were particularly concerned that Dougie only wanted a trophy wife in Holly.
However, he was not phased by their reservations and was determined to 'prove them wrong'.
As the pair met during the Covid-19 pandemic, they spent a lot of lockdowns together, and Dougie stayed with Holly and her mum, Diane Edmonds, 59.
After around eight months of dating, Holly was expecting the couple's first child, Oceanna, and Dougie proposed at her gender reveal party in December 2020.
The pair finally tied the knot in July of this year, spending a whopping £60,000 on a lavish ceremony that included four Rolls Royces and unlimited champagne.
Dougie wanted to arrive in a helicopter, but the venue wouldn't let him.
Holly, a mum-of-two, who wore an eye-wateringly expensive £12,000 wedding dress, said: "It's been a whirlwind that's turned into a fairytale.
"The biggest difference being a traveller's wife is you must respect your husband – what he says goes.
"He's the man, so he can go out if he wants, but I'm the woman so I can really only go out with him.
"I can go to the salon or out to the shops on my own, but he's very protective and worries about my safety if I'm out alone.
"I don't feel like I'm missing out because if I want to do something I just ask Dougie and we can do it together."
Holly worked as an air hostess for Jet2 prior to getting married, and while she is currently a stay-at-home wife, she is planning to eventually buck traveller tradition and return to work.
While Dougie supports this, he said that he expects the couple's home to be as well-maintained even when she returns to work.
"Family is so important to travellers," Holly said. "I remember being so impressed by how Dougie treats his mum.
"He never answers back to his mother and has so much respect for her.
"He buys her flowers, designer shoes, and anything she wants."
On the subject of designer items, Holly explained that there is a lot of competition to keep up with others materialistically in the community.
"It's all about who has got the best bags, the best shoes, the best jewellery," she admitted.
"Dougie expects the house to be perfect, and to be looked after when he comes home from work.
"It's quite different to my past relationships and it took some getting used to at first, but he looks after me and provides for our family so I'm happy to do it."
Dougie made his money as a bare knuckle fighter and now owns his own club, 3D Fight Club.
But Holly said she doesn't like to watch her husband get challenged to fights because of his high profile in the area, and said she prefers to wait for him at home.
Dougie praised Holly for adapting to the traveller lifestyle and said they are both very happy.
"Family comes first and Holly wouldn't have it any other way," he said.