The Home Front Marrying Mum and Dad

Up and down the country,

parents are getting married in normal traditional ceremonies.

-Normal weddings are quite...

-Boring.

-..boring.

But fear not, Britain, because we're fighting back.

-Open your eyes!

-CHEERING

Kids have set themselves the challenge of a lifetime...

Quiet on set.

To organise their parents' wedding.

Bring it on.

And to make it a day that no-one will ever forget.

CHEERING Will they manage it?

-I'm quite nervous to plan it.

-Will Mum and Dad like it?

It could all go completely wrong.

And will they finally say "I do"?

We're going to rock this wedding!

-ED AND NAOMI:

-This is Marrying Mum And Dad.

LAUGHTER

BOOM!

RATTLING

On today's show, we're going back in time...

I actually did think it was two old people.

-For a wedding that goes with a bang.

-POP!

There are some unusual sightings...

-Sarge, I've spotted something else very bizarre.

-What?

And Mum and Dad are in for a few surprises.

CHEERING AND LAUGHTER

But will this wedding have the guests swinging...

Or leave them with a bad taste in their mouths?

Down the hatch.

Ugh! Down the toilet.

Welcome to Marrying Mum And Dad...

The show that shows your mum and dad what you're made of, when you get to

plan their wedding day.

Mum and Dad, say goodbye to those plans for your dream day.

And say hello to the weird and wonderful weddings that only your

-kids could dream up.

-Good luck, everyone.

I think we're going to need it.

Today we're in East Lothian, in Scotland...

Where we have a pair of planners who want to give Mum and Dad their

marching orders...

And launch Operation: Wedding.

Meet 12-year-old Cameron.

To arrange my mum and dad's wedding,

it makes me feel really happy and excited.

And this is his bestest buddy, Ross.

When Cameron told me about the wedding,

I thought it was such a big opportunity that, if I turn it down,

I'd be an absolute numpty.

But who are the brave couple surrendering their arms and

relinquishing all control on their big day?

We have Dad, Simon.

Deep down, I think we're a bit mad to do all this,

but we'll just go with the flow.

Cameron will make sure it's a good day for us.

I wouldn't be so sure about that, Dad!

And finally, hoping to be dealt a good hand is Mum, Lorraine.

No point trying to guess with Cameron, cos it could be

absolutely anything.

-Whatever's going to happen, we said we'd do, so...

-Yeah.

-..we'll do it.

-SHE LAUGHS

Hmm. Mum clearly has no idea what's coming.

So, now we've met the family,

it's time to see what this devious duo have in their sights.

Our wedding is going to parachute us back through history...

To a time when a stiff upper lip was needed and your country needed you.

Everyone pulled together and mucked in.

That's because our theme is World War II and the Home Front.

The Second World War lasted for six long years, from 1939 until 1945,

and is one of the most important historical periods

for the entire world.

Hundreds of thousands of British men and women were sent across the world

to fight, whilst the people back at home tried to support the war effort

overseas in any way they could.

And this became known as "The Home Front".

Wow! What a theme. The 1940s.

The country was at war,

but everyone pulled together through hard times for the greater good.

Volunteers up and down the country formed a Home Guard,

ready to protect these islands from invasion.

And all that hard work paid off as, in 1945, victory was declared.

-That's not the sign.

-Oh.

Get off!

Cameron and Ross have been secretly planning their 1940s-inspired

-wedding.

-And are now ready to issue their orders.

-And for this kind of

military precision, you need a secret weapon...

The Marrying Mum And Dad HQ.

The Plan Van is here!

Do you want to come on board so we can start planning this wedding in

secret, away from prying eyes?

Come on in.

Really great theme, but tell me, why have you chosen it?

Well, it's because my mum and dad were both in the Army,

and it was a big part of their life.

What do you envisage happening on the day?

Have you got anything in your mind that you're likening it to?

The Home Front. They were kind of like a volunteer service.

So you want a real community spirit at this wedding?

-Yeah.

-You want everyone to feel like they're pulling together.

-Yeah.

-I think that could be great on a wedding day.

Cameron and Ross are planning a heroic hitching.

Time for us to start putting their battle plan into action.

The boys are going to need some time travel to get their mum,

dad and all their guests to a wedding in the 1940s.

So, first, they need to find out what life was like back then,

and we've come to the perfect place.

-The National War Museum of Scotland.

-Looks good.

-Shall we go in here?

-Wow!

-Wow!

-All right!

-Lots of inspiration...

-This is an exact replica of a 1940s home -

perfect to get the planners thinking.

RATTLING Oh, that's so loud!

But we haven't just come to hear what an air raid warning rattle

-sounded like!

-Very noisy, that! Very noisy!

We're also here to chat to historian Nikki,

who's got some interesting photos to show us.

-What do we think this one is?

-Like, someone putting on the gas mask.

Putting on a gas mask, fantastic.

When war broke out in 1939, everyone got a gas mask like this.

They even had gas masks for horses.

"Neigh" kidding!

What do you think these pictures represent?

That's the rations and all that.

Brilliant. We had to think, "How are we going to make sure that everyone

"gets the same amount of food?" So, rationing started.

You would only be allowed a certain amount each week, of certain things.

But the government encouraged people to grow vegetables, and you could

-even keep hens, so you could have your own eggs, as well.

-Aah!

An egg-cellent solution.

-A cracking idea.

-All right, Ed, that's enough of the egg "yolks".

HEN CLUCKS

These are members of the Home Guard. And what did the Home Guard do?

They stayed in the UK to try and protect from raiders.

Brilliant, yeah.

The Home Guard were volunteers who were ready to defend Britain in the

event of an invasion by Germany.

Mainly made up of older men, too old for the regular army,

it was often referred to as the "Dad's Army".

I've got a few more pictures here of some celebrations at the end.

-Oh! Look at this! So this is the kind of vibe we want...

-Yeah.

..for your wedding, is it? Maybe bunting and big long tables.

-Yeah.

-Everyone looking this happy. LAUGHTER

They're very happy.

We've got all the information we need to help us transport this

wedding back in time.

Well, with the help of a bit of TV magic of course.

My favourite part today

was finding out what life was like in World War II.

We had a brilliant day today.

We just can't wait until tomorrow.

Time travel to the 1940s, well, sort of sorted.

Cameron and Ross are on a military mission.

-We will make this wedding happen.

-Victory will be ours!

Time to find out how Mum and Dad will be kitted out on their big day.

Tell me what your thoughts are for the outfits.

Well, Mum, I was thinking, like,

try and sort of, like, her, like, Army dress,

which she's got. We've got a picture.

She's got, like, the hat and just, like, a wee miniskirt.

Well, that seems normal enough.

You'll be fine with that, right, Mum?

I'm not too keen on, like, skirts and dresses and that, cos I'm a

-bit of a tomboy, aren't I?

-KLAXON

Sorry, Mum! No point trying to skirt the issue.

But what's Dad going to look like?

So, like, my dad, we're thinking, like, him to be, like, old.

You want to make your dad look old?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, because of, like, the Dad's Army thing and...

So, like the Home Guard. You want him to be an old man?

-Yeah.

-Don't think we've ever made a groom look like that before.

That's funny. So if we're going to do this to your dad,

do you think we ought to do a trial run?

-Yeah.

-See if we can make ourselves look old?

-Yeah.

Cameron and Ross have come to BBC Scotland to see make-up Superwoman

Irene, who's going to age the boys by a whopping 60 years.

It feels very weird.

Irene's using the same specialist make-up that they use in Hollywood

movies.

20 minutes later, the pals are beginning to look like pensioners.

That is amazing!

This is perfect! LAUGHTER

Here, put your hand, just hold it tight.

-That's great.

-The wigs are the final touch,

and the transformation is complete.

You do look amazing!

Moment of truth, would you like to see yourselves?

THEY LAUGH I think you look very convincing.

But do you think you can fool anyone?

-I don't know.

-Let's go and find out.

Come on!

We're hitting the streets of Glasgow to see if we can fool the general

public into believing that these two pranksters are past their prime.

-Do you need some assistance?

-No.

-Do you need to... No? You're all right?

You can manage?

There's people staring at you. SHE LAUGHS

We really had to get into character. We had hunch backs,

we had, like, a really deep voice, like, really grumpy look,

like this.

That's quite funny when you blow your moustache like that.

Time to kick-start this make-up masquerade.

Excuse me, ladies.

I'm just out with these old men from the old people's home.

-Do you know where the bus station is?

-Down there.

-Down that way?

-Down there.

-Oh, thank you!

I actually did think it was two old people.

-LAUGHTER

-They're dead good, so they are.

Right, when somebody comes along, we'll drop your stick

and ask them if they can help you pick it up, and see if they react.

Could you pick this up?

-Thank you.

-Aww!

What a kind lady, helping an old man.

The doddery disguises are doing the business!

But how will Mum feel about marrying a MUCH older hubby on her wedding

-day?

-I think my mum will be laughing her head off.

HE LAUGHS

-Do you think they look old?

-Yeah!

-Excellent!

They think you look old! Time to wind up our wind-up.

-Are you sure you're happy to go with this for outfits?

-Yes.

-Definitely.

You're going to do this to Dad?

-Yeah.

-Well, he shouldn't have left the planning up to you, should he?

That's Mum and Dad's World War II wedding day outfits sorted.

Back at barracks, Cameron and Ross have come up with a great way to

"spies" up the wedding,

by introducing a bit of espionage.

We've been playing around with different types of secret

messaging to create the entertainment for the wedding.

BEEPING

It's war.

First up for the pair of plotters, Morse code,

which uses a system of clicks...

BEEPING

-That's S.

-And tones...

BEEPING

O.

..to spell out letters and words.

-What?

-Is it SOS?

-Yep.

Next up, a clever way of sending hidden messages that was well used

during wartime, using wax candles and paint.

Right, boys, how's it going?

And the boys have a special message for me.

What's this?

"Ed is the best"?

-Who wrote this?

-Me!

-It was Cameron.

-Cameron!

-Good work, boys.

And finally, Cameron wants to reveal the wedding theme to Mum and

Dad, using a much more modern form of communication.

And as he's hard of hearing, it's one that's very personal.

-Sign language.

-Um, circle.

-It's part of the theme.

-World. So that's world.

Yeah!

-I know that's W.

-Yeah.

A.

R. World War...

World... II.

-Yeah.

-Ah, that's good!

So we're thinking we could do some signing and see if Mum and Dad can

-guess it?

-Yeah.

-Sounds like a plan.

It does. A good plan.

So that's our secret messaging wedding day entertainment...

Sorted.

Cameron and Ross have really taken command of this military-themed

-wedding.

-And they think they've hit the target by finding a venue

fit for a victory party.

Right, then. A nice big building.

-Yeah. Many windows, so many rooms.

-Yes, good.

We've come to the Fisherrow Centre,

a building that was used as a school throughout World War II.

And the boys have done their homework, this place gets top marks.

-Wow!

-You like?

-This is big! This could work.

-This could work.

-Yeah.

I can picture the tables, I can picture a party happening in here.

-Yes, the bunting.

-Everything would work in here, wouldn't it?

The venue looked great.

It's got big rooms and it's in a really good location.

It's a great venue for a wedding.

-Can we say, "Venue, tick"?

-Yeah.

-Venue is ticked.

You are that happy about it!

-He's happy.

-That's our homecoming World War II victory venue sorted.

Attention!

During World War II,

food wasn't as easy to import into Britain, and to ensure everyone got

a fair share, certain items like sugar, meat, butter and milk

-were rationed.

-And, as a reminder of this time of hardship,

we're about to create a wedding cake with a difference.

If we're going to make a cake that is going to be authentic,

we're going to need some authentic ingredients.

So I've got some things here,

because remember they had the rationing?

-Yeah.

-Our ingredients will be a little bit limited,

things like luncheon meat,

stock, custard powder.

So shall we taste some of these, see if they might work in a cake?

-Yeah.

-Right.

First up, that most delicious of delicacies, luncheon meat.

-Ewww!

-Stop trying to chuck yours away, Naomi.

Cheers!

Oh, that's quite nice.

Ugh, this one appears to be dividing opinion.

-I don't think Cameron likes it.

-No.

-No?

-Yuck!

Yuck. Right, we better not put that in the cake.

-I actually quite like that.

-No, we could, actually.

Luncheon meat in the cake?

That's like sprinkling salt on your cornflakes!

Next up, every kid's favourite - corned beef.

Anybody have a bucket?

-Yeah, there.

-I actually like it.

-Do you not like that?

-Nope.

-Sticking with it?

Well done, Cameron. What do you think?

-Nice.

-You like that?

-Yeah.

-Do you want to put it in the cake?

Yeah. Yes?!

I've heard of a beefcake, but a corned beefcake?

That's taking the biscuit.

Sorry, biscuits were rationed, too, so hands off!

Having a meat-based cake isn't enough for these two crafty

caterers. They want to introduce another wartime theme.

Barrage balloons.

A common sight in the Second World War,

barrage balloons were tethered with metal cables and were used to make

it difficult for enemy aircraft to fly in low and drop their bombs.

So, how about filling up our very own barrage balloon with icing

sugar, and exploding it all over the wedding guests?

Three, two, one. POP!

-Oi!

-Not bad.

Well, that works a treat.

I'm not sure, Ed, I think a little more testing is in order.

-This is chocolate and icing powder.

-En garde.

-Icing sugar....

Argh! POP!

-Oi!

-O-o-o-o-oh!

Balloon popping, it was great fun and it did make quite a big mess,

-Cameron.

-POP!

POP! POP! Argh!

Look at this mess.

-It's going to be explosive chaos on the wedding day, then.

-Yeah.

-You want to do this for the cake?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Well, you too might be completely un-POP-ular.

Don't overinflate your part, Naomi.

That's cake, fit for bursting.

Cheers!

That's the wedding plans fully drawn up and bunkered down.

Cameron and Ross have cooked up a wedding with a taste of history.

-Do you want to put it in the cake?

-Yeah.

-Yes?

Mum and Dad will be transported back in time,

although Dad's outfit won't make him look any younger.

I think my mum will be laughing her head off!

The entertainment's shrouded in secrecy.

-"Ed is the best"? Who wrote this?

-Me.

-It was Cameron.

-Wow!

-And the venue's got the boys beaming.

You are that happy about it. He's happy.

But as the big day approaches, the nerves are kicking in.

I know there's going to be one slip-up, there has to be, but...

hopefully it all goes to plan.

The boys might be getting anxious, but Mum and Dad's Army

backgrounds mean they're keeping calm and carrying on.

Are you worried about anything?

Not really. You've just got to go with the flow and...

See what happens.

Clearly Mum and Dad are clueless.

But they're about to get a call to arms they'll never forget.

It's the morning of the wedding, and Sergeant Wilkinson and Private Spike

are on full alert.

Well, maybe not FULL alert.

Private Spike.

Ah, finally after all that planning, it's W Day.

-W Day, Sergeant Wilkinson?

-The wedding day, of course.

Stupid boy, Spike. Now, today must run with clockwork precision.

PLANE FLIES OVERHEAD Nothing must go wrong.

We must stay alert.

-Private Spike!

-Yes, Sergeant?

Maybe these will help.

-See anything unusual?

-There are some strangely dressed boys in that

-community centre.

-Maybe they're French Resistance.

They have a flair for elaborate fashion.

Don't panic, chaps, they're not the French Resistance,

in fact they're our wedding planners, making last-minute checks

on their 1940s wedding venue.

-Hurrah!

-Well, should really go and get dressed, then.

-Yeah.

-Sounds like an idea.

Sarge, I've spotted something else very bizarre.

What?

Oh.

Hmm, I don't think they pose a threat.

They both just look really...stupid.

Stand at ease, it's just Mum and Dad getting into their wedding outfits.

-Tally Ho!

-It feels a bit strange, because I'm not used to anyone doing

anything like this, I normally just get up and go.

It just feels all bizarre.

We must be mad. I've not got a clue what's going on.

-OK, Sarge, it looks pretty quiet out there.

-Great, send the message.

Operation W Day can get underway.

Stupid boy.

The wait is finally over.

The moment has arrived for all the wedding guests

to travel back in time.

It's Victory in Europe Day, 1945 -

the last day of the War in Europe.

And Sergeant Major Cameron and 1940s schoolboy Ross are putting everyone

through their paces with a finely tuned military drill.

Don't ask questions, this is on a need-to-know basis.

With the sign language sorted,

it's time to put Mum and Dad out of their misery and let them see their

military makeovers.

Oh, yes, looking good, Mum and Dad.

Ready for us to show you what you're going to be wearing for your wedding

-day?

-I am excited to see what it is.

Yeah, why not?

Three, two, one...

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

-What do you think?

-First time I've seen her with make-up on.

-Really? What, ever?

-And a skirt!

-LAUGHTER

Any slight guesses as to what the theme might be, guys?

-Um...no.

-No.

-LAUGHTER

In case you're in any doubt, still, Cameron, over to you.

-GUESTS:

-World...War...II.

CHEERING AND LAUGHTER

With outfits revealed,

it's time to turn these 1940s lovebirds

into an official World War Twosome.

CHEERING

But hang on, something isn't tickety-boo.

Sarge, Sarge,

there's a top-secret message coming through and we need to receive it!

Right! Mum and Dad, you come with me.

-Have you got the message?

-Yes, Ed, I got it.

-What does it say?

-Message to be sent, 1945.

Let's hope they understand it, or they'll never get married!

Ooooooh!

Right, Mum and Dad, we have a top-secret message coming through

from HQ. You have to decipher it via Morse code and see if you can find

out how to get your wedding rings out of the box.

Don't mess this up. There's a wedding at stake.

BEEP Oh!

BEEPING

-Five.

-Five. Write it down.

-Five.

Not quite, Dad.

OK, Cameron, time for the next coded number.

BEEPING

What was that? Did you get it?

-No.

-No.

-Any guesses, anybody?

We got the first one, five.

-Is that all of it?

-Cameron is sending Morse code...

But Mum and Dad are just hearing gibberish.

-How are they looking, Ross?

-Confused. Very.

Just choose a number. LAUGHTER

Any four numbers you like.

Third coded number on its way.

BEEPING

Did you get anything from that?

-Nothing at all.

-Just dots and dashes.

-Beep, beep, beep.

Nothing at all, we got nothing. Just dots and dashes.

Just all a big mixture of that, basically.

This is a coding catastrophe.

And as the fourth and final number comes in...

BEEPING

-Was that dots or dashes?

-Dots.

-Dots.

-The long ones are dashes.

Dad's given up and just trying any old number combinations.

-Maybe do it for...

-1875.

-Are you just guessing numbers now, Mum?

Just guessing any random number that you like?

-What year was World War II?

-LAUGHTER

Oh, getting warmer, Mum.

They've done it! CHEERING

-They've done it!

-CHEERING

-What was it?

-1945.

Of course it was. End of World War II.

Yes, I'd say that was more down to

guesswork than careful code-cracking.

But Mum and Dad have their rings.

Should we get these two wartime sweethearts married?

-GUESTS:

-Yes!

Quite right.

The time has arrived. After being engaged for 15 years,

Lorraine and Simon will finally tie the knot.

And it's all thanks to their son, Cameron, and his best buddy, Ross.

I give you this ring as a symbol of our love and our marriage.

Please wear it always,

and when we are apart, look upon it and think of me.

It gives me great pleasure to pronounce you, Simon, and you,

Lorraine, are now husband and wife.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Mum and Dad are now officially Mr and Mrs.

Time to celebrate with tea and biscuits,

and corned-beef sandwiches.

Spiffing!

Oh, he's clearly a very big fan.

And the corned beef isn't just on the sarnies, it's on the cake, too.

In fact, this party piece is packed to the rafters with processed meat.

Mm, delish.

Right, Mum and Dad, please open your eyes.

-Oh, wow!

-Ta-da!

-Do you want to have a little smell?

-No, not really.

LAUGHTER

Now, at a traditional wedding, this would be the time to cut the cake.

But this is Marrying Mum And Dad,

and we do things a bit differently here.

You've got to cut this bit first.

Yeah. Ooooh!

Together, please.

POP!

LAUGHTER

Crikey! It didn't bang like that when we tried the idea out.

Let's hope the cake doesn't give the guests bellyache.

CHEERING

APPLAUSE

So, who's going to be first to try this delicious meat/cake combo?

Let's call it an early wedding present, Mum and Dad.

CHEERING

-How's it taste?

-Not too bad.

-It's actually all right.

-Not too bad?

-That's all right, actually.

-Not too bad.

-Well, I wasn't expecting that.

With our cake MEAT-ing approval, it's time for everyone to tuck in.

A little bit of icing sugar on it, sorry about that.

He's right, you know, it kind of works.

Down the hatch.

Ugh! Down the toilet!

While everyone, erm, savours the cake,

Sergeant Major Cameron has one last deciphering challenge for

-Mum and Dad in the car park.

-Quick march, everybody!

Now, what you both need to do is to reveal a hidden message that can't

be seen by the naked eye.

Get going! Come on, what are you waiting for?

No hanging around, come on!

You've missed a little spot in the middle.

I think you've pretty much done it.

-You've cracked it.

-Can you read what it says?

-BOTH:

-"The War is over."

The War is over! CHEERING

BAND PLAYS: In The Mood by Glenn Miller

CHEERING

Come on in!

The war may be over, but the party's only just beginning.

But what do Mum and Dad think about their time-travelling wedding?

It's been absolutely fantastic.

Yeah, I think it's been out of this world.

I'm extremely proud of what Cameron's done,

a lot of thought's gone into everything.

He's done us proud, and Ross has been fantastic.

Today has gone really, really, really well.

I loved it all. They finally got married and it feels fantastic.

To sum up this wedding...

We smashed it out the park.

Well, I think we can say that that wedding was a victory.

Yes, Cameron and Ross executed that with military precision.

And now the War's over, all that's left for us to do is to fall out.

Oh, good, cos I've been meaning to say this for while.

I hate the way you boss me around,

always thinking you're better at organising weddings than me,

-and you smell.

-HE BLOWS A RASPBERRY

Ed, "fall out" is A military term for "go home".

Oh.

SHE SIGHS Stupid boy.