# Emily Atack's Spanish Wedding Joke: Step-Cousin Twist > Emily Atack's second wedding in Spain faced awkward step-cousin jokes but handled elegantly. - Title: Emily Atack's Spanish Wedding Joke: Step-Cousin Twist - Summary: Emily Atack's second wedding in Spain faced awkward step-cousin jokes but handled elegantly. Emily Atack and her step-cousin husband married in Spain after… - Keywords: emily atack, step-cousin, spanish wedding, rivals tv show, dr alistair garner, mojacar, wedding guest, second wedding, celebrity wedding, family joke, news, entertainment - Source: Dailymail — https://dailymail.com/tvshowbiz/article-16136445/joke-famous-guests-reception-Rivals-Emily-Atack-wedding-Spain.html?ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490&ns_mchannel=rss - Published: 2026-09-16T16:12:49+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: emily atack, step-cousin, spanish wedding, rivals tv show, dr alistair garner, mojacar, wedding guest, second wedding, celebrity wedding, family joke, news, entertainment ## Emily and Alistair's childhood connection Emily Atack and Dr Alistair Garner met as children after Alistair's late father married Emily's aunt in the 1990s. > Saying I was 'dating my cousin' was very damaging, very awful. We're not related in any way. ## Step-cousin wedding twist Their second wedding in Mojacar, Spain, included a playful joke about their step-cousin relationship. > Which just goes to show what a snog behind the garden shed can lead to! ## Celebrity wedding guests Guests included Rivals castmates like David Tennant and Rufus Jones, plus comedian Katherine Ryan. > Ladies and gentlemen lovely Rufus Jones is among us, those of you who have enjoyed the television sensation Rivals will understand that Rufus knows only too well what it is like to be married to Emily. ## Rufus Jones' tribute poem Rufus Jones recited a poem changing lines to call Emily the 'Queen of TV' and their marriage 'Barbie marrying Oppenheimer'. > I have fallen in love with my wife, she's the Queen of TV, and we're Barbie marrying Oppenheimer. ## Emily's celebrity past Emily dated Harry Styles in 2013 and had a relationship with Hollister model Jack Vacher before marrying Alistair in 2023. > She reconnected with Dr Garner in 2023 and began secretly dating. ## Spanish wedding details The wedding took place in Mojacar, Spain, with 197 guests and a mix of languages on the 'Love' tables. > Every table on the seating chart bore the word Love in different languages. ## Post-wedding party The wedding party continued with dancing and karaoke until the early hours of Monday. > They were going the entire day, she looked beautiful all day of course, a picture of bliss. ## Family's favorite spot Emily's family has loved Mojacar for decades, with her father owning property there since childhood. > After the house was sold in 2018, she continued to visit and took her newborn son there last year. ## Step-cousin relationship Emily and Alistair are not blood relatives but share a step-cousin relationship through family connections. > We're not related in any way. I think some family members found that scrutiny very tough. ## Wedding venue The wedding was held in a 16th-century church in Mojacar, Spain, with a rented courtyard for the reception. > The congregation, crammed into the courtyard of a 16th-century church, included her castmates from the Disney+ sensation Rivals. ## Family's reaction Family members were pleased with the wedding's handling of the step-cousin issue without drama. > It was the elephant in the room. If they were going to address the step-cousin thing, and it went down really well - it was handled with elegance and class. ## Emily's new home The couple bought a home in Bedfordshire where they both grew up and are renovating it. > Earlier this year, the new parents bought their 'dream' home in Bedfordshire. ## Wedding planning The couple planned a second wedding after their first church ceremony in Bedfordshire. > Three weeks earlier, the couple had officially wed in a church ceremony in Bedfordshire before heading back for a party in their back garden. ## Guests' reactions Guests enjoyed the wedding but some were frustrated by tight security and limited access to the venue. > Two wedding guests were seemingly not allowed back into the venue, while one onlooker became visibly frustrated when not allowed to walk through a passage occupied by the wedding planners. ## Emily's step-cousin husband Dr Alistair Garner is Emily's step-cousin, having grown up with her family through their shared relatives. > Emily has known her new husband, Dr Alistair Garner, since they were children after Alistair's late father married Emily's aunt, Jane Garner, in the early 1990s. ## Wedding aftermath The wedding party continued with dancing and karaoke until the early hours of Monday. > The afterparty went on until the early hours of Monday morning with reports of karaoke. ## Key takeaway Emily Atack and her step-cousin husband married in Spain after years of secrecy, avoiding family drama with a playful nod to their childhood connection.