Inside Corrie's Imogen star Melissa Johns' rustic wedding day - from celeb guestlist to outdoor Champagne shower
"This isn’t how I expected to feel,” admits Melissa Johns, as she sits down to chat with OK! a few days after marrying Dan Hampton in a stunning Herefordshire wedding. Despite the ambiguous opening statement, however, it turns out former Coronation Street actress Melissa — best known for portraying Imogen Pascoe on the famous cobbles — just can’t believe quite how happy she is to be a married woman.
“I know it sounds really weird, but what I mean is, I just feel absolutely wonderful,” explains the 34-year-old. “I just thought it was going to be a wedding day and a party. I didn’t expect to feel such an unbelievable change in myself and my relationship. It’s bizarre to feel like you just fell in love with someone all over again. It’s just wonderful.”
Against the exquisite backdrop of the 14th-century Brinsop Court Manor House and Barn, Melissa tied the knot with transport planning consultant Dan, 36, in a rustic ceremony on 11 October — a day she describes as “perfect”. The bride looked beautiful in a strapless fishtail gown with a fitted corset and bead embellishments, while her groom was the picture of elegance in a three-piece tweed suit and paisley tie.
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As Melissa catches us up on her wedding day from her ‘mini-moon’ in Sicily, where the couple flew after becoming husband and wife, she can hardly contain her happiness. And while many little girls dream of their big day, the actress, who was born missing half her right arm, explains why her disability made this even more of a special moment.
“Because of having one arm and looking very different to other people growing up, when I was young, I wasn’t necessarily sure getting married was something that would happen for me,” explains Melissa. “People do comment on it and question whether you’ll find love or get married, simply because of the way you look or because you’re disabled. So, because of the way I grew up, our special day meant a million times more to me.”
With six bridesmaids, five groomsmen and Melissa and Dan’s adorable Sprocker spaniel, Nancy, involved in their big day, the ceremony wasn’t short of liveliness. But one moment that stands out for Melissa is when she was preparing to walk down the aisle to meet her groom.
“The most special moment for me was turning around the corner into the aisle and seeing the faces of all our friends and family. Then they all blurred into one, and there was Dan, at the end of the aisle. “There were people I’ve been friends with since I was five or six years old, people I share the screen with, and my family — all in one space. I hope that moment stays with me for the rest of my life,” she beams.
However, it wasn’t a quick walk down the aisle, as Melissa kept her groom waiting to savour the moment. Explaining her choice to walk down the aisle to Clinton Kane’s I Guess I’m In Love, Melissa says, “It’s a beautiful, beautiful song and there was a particular part of the song I wanted to walk down to. But all the bridesmaids had already gone and, in that moment, it felt like I was waiting too long for it. “I said to my wedding planner, Amelia, ‘Shall I just go now? I think everyone is waiting.’ She said, ‘No, Melissa. You have imagined walking down the aisle to that part of the song, and you will walk down to that. People can wait for another 20 seconds!’ I’m grateful for that.”
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When the wait was finally over and they had exchanged their vows, Melissa and Dan celebrated in style, with a magical first dance, an outdoor champagne shower and a night full of laughter. Joining the celebrations were several of Melissa’s on-screen colleagues, including Coronation Street stars Cherylee Houston and Bhavna Limbachia. Melissa is also known for her role as Jennifer Scott in the hit ITV series Grantchester, and her co-star Bradley Hall was also in attendance.
While their real honeymoon will take place later this year in Saint Lucia, Melissa and Dan have Emmerdale ’s Laura Norton and her fiancé Mark Jordon to thank for their Sicilian mini-moon. Melissa says, “Mark and Laura have been holding the Cure Usher Ball, which raises money for research into Usher syndrome, for the last few years. Last year, Dan and I won this trip to Sicily in the silent auction — so cheers for that, both!” Dan got down on one knee to propose to Melissa in June 2023, two years after they started dating.
Given that both Melissa and Dan came out of long-term relationships a year before meeting one another, the actress says fate brought them together. “I always assumed I’d meet the person I was going to be with in my twenties. But actually, I couldn’t be happier I met Dan in my thirties,” says Melissa.
“I love myself so much more now. To be able to do this at an age where I really appreciate myself and the life I live makes it so much better.” She continues, “When you get older, you really don’t hold back. There’s no gameplaying — it’s just genuine because you’re confident in who you are. Maybe I wasn’t as confident in who I was in my twenties, so actually, meeting him now was the way it was always meant to be.”
So when they met, did Melissa know he was The One straight away? “Yes, definitely!” she says. “When you meet someone who is so different to all the others, you really do know.” While she admits to being very much in a ‘wedding bubble’, after a few days of Italian bliss, Melissa was heading straight back to work, filming Grantchester in the UK.
“I got a week off from filming, and then I’m back,” she reveals. “But I absolutely love it. Grantchester is one of the most wonderful period dramas to be a part of. I’m also continuing to develop my one-woman show, Snatched, which toured the UK a couple of years ago. We’re now adapting that for television, which is exciting. Getting to do the job I do is just an absolute dream.”
Becoming Dan’s wife has been the cherry on top, as Melissa concludes, “I just still can’t quite believe everything I’ve ever wanted has actually happened. I dreamt of falling in love and meeting someone who was going to be respectful and lovely, and give us both a life of adventure. It’s just perfect.” Cheers to that, Melissa and Dan!
