Exclusive: Emmerdale’s Ryan Stocks star James Moore marries Sophie Edwards in emotional wedding

Emmerdale’s James Moore and his bride Sophie Edwards are still on cloud nine after their fairytale wedding just days before. The beloved ITV soap star, known for his role as Ryan Stocks, and his special needs teacher partner said ‘I do’ in a spellbinding ceremony at Cheltenham’s Manor by the Lake, with 100 of their nearest and dearest, including Emmerdale castmates, in attendance. For James, who has cerebral palsy, it was a day he once feared might never come. A visibly moved Sophie recalled James’ heartfelt evening speech: “When James made his evening speech, he spoke about growing up with disability and how he thought he would never find love or a wife,” she shared.

“That really tugged on everybody’s heartstrings because it just proves that love is there for absolutely everybody. It was one of my highlights of the day. His speech ruined me.” Now relaxing at their Gloucester home, the couple opened up to OK! about settling into married life. “It feels surreal,” admitted 32 year old James. “It was so busy and so intense, it’s nice to have a bit of time to ourselves.” The pair, who have been together for five and a half years after first connecting on Bumble, exchanged vows with joy and humour. James quipped, “I joked in my speech at the wedding that we don’t tell people we met on a dating app. We say we met through friends.”

Sophie chimed in, adding a personal touch: “I didn’t know that James was disabled until he mentioned it and I didn’t know he was on Emmerdale until he said. I had to Google ‘Ryan Stocks Emmerdale.’ However, my mum is a big Emmerdale fan and she was ecstatic.” James and Sophie, after getting engaged on a romantic getaway to Manchester, dedicated two years to meticulously planning their dream autumn wedding, with every detail reflecting their unique style. Sophie was adamant about one thing: “My non-negotiable was having a bouncy castle,” she revealed. The couple also had a clear vision for the theme, “We wanted pumpkins. We knew we weren’t going to wear the traditional colours so my dress was blush and James’ suit was Dairy Milk purple.”

James chimed in with his take on tradition, “We never wanted to be particularly traditional. I mean, my suit was blooming purple! It took me months to find.” He even broke convention by choosing a best woman, selecting his long-time friend Amy, “I’ve known Amy since we were teenagers – we were in that emo crowd that every town centre had in 2011,” he recalled fondly. “We met in Cheltenham and she’s always been there for me. When I was picking people to be in my groom’s party, I thought, ‘Do I need to have a best man? Because Amy is my best friend so why can’t it be her?’”

The wedding was brimming with personal touches, from a Lego station for guests to create mini-figures to a donut wall inspired by the couple’s beloved show ‘The Simpsons’. With the help of family, they crafted a day that was unmistakably theirs, “Decorations, flowers – we did all of that ourselves with James’ sister, mum and nieces,” Sophie explained. Even the table centrepieces were a family creation, “The centrepieces on the tables were knitted pumpkins that James’ mum had made. She’d been knitting them for about six months!”

“We hole-punched leaves with a heart hole-punch to make the confetti. We had a temporary tattoo station with tattoos of Pokemon, flowers and black cats in homage to our cat Bubba. Those little things make it so much more personal” Emmerdale’s Emma Atkins and Mark Charnock were among the guests who gathered at the historic manor set in the idyllic Cotswolds for the outdoor ceremony – not only was it a sight to behold, but it was also fully accessible. “We went to some venues but due to historical preservation they tend to be inaccessible,” shared James, a wheelchair user.

Sophie chimed in, “We’re in 2024 but there are some venues that just aren’t accessible. It’s nobody’s fault, it’s how some of these historic buildings were built but the manor has always been so inclusive. They made sure the ramps were down and ensured James always had a straw with his drink. They couldn’t be more helpful and again, it promotes the message that marriage can be for anybody, regardless of their ability.”

Sophie, after a night apart from her beau James, spent the morning of her wedding getting dolled up with her maid of honour Beth and bridesmaids. Despite some jitters, Sophie, who dazzled in a floor-length pink dress, felt absolutely gorgeous. She shared, “I’m more of a plus-size bride, I’m bigger than James and that’s OK. In society, it’s like, ‘If you’re bigger than your husband, then let’s not go there,’ but my friends and the staff were just so complimentary and beautiful, it made me feel so accepted and like I can be loved for my size.”

James, looking at his stunning bride, remarked, “You looked beautiful. Everyone was talking about how beautiful you looked.” The emotional high point came as Sophie, a die-hard McFly fan, walked down the aisle to the band’s beloved song ‘All About You’. “My mum gave me away – James was crying, I was crying and I looked over at my three older brothers and they were just in pieces,” she recalled.

And when James’ five year old nephew delivered a speech quoting Winnie the Pooh during the ceremony, the tears just wouldn’t stop. The heartfelt moment moved many to tears. James’ speech left not a single dry eye in the room. “I prepared my speech the week before and when I started writing it, it all just came out,” he revealed.

“I wanted to talk about my life up to this point, Sophie, her family, my family and my colleagues. I had a lot to cram in and I did think, ‘Is this going on for too long?’” However, their guests were captivated by every word. “I teach special educational needs children and James comes in to do drama workshops with the kids,” Sophie said. “They adore him because he walks differently and talks differently just like them. I almost wish they were there to hear his speech so I can be like, ‘Look, marriage can be for anybody!’”

After an emotional ceremony and reception, the mood lifted on the dance floor – and James’ Emmerdale co-stars were partly responsible.”They are a whole lot of fun,” James chuckled. “Despite attending award shows with them, I’d forgotten what they’re like when they get on the dance floor. They really go for it. We split the Emmerdale guys over two tables because there were so many of them and they fit right in.”

James’ on-screen mum Emma Atkins, who plays Charity Dingle, was there to support the couple, as were Dominic Brunt (Paddy Kirk) and Mark Charnock (Marlon Dingle), who were described as an “absolute hoot” by Sophie. She said, “It felt surreal having James’ mum, my mum and Emma there – all the mums in one place. Dominic and Mark were so funny and just so energetic. Dominic bought us some Sylvanian Families as a present, which I managed to sneak on the wedding register as I’m a massive fan.”

She also revealed, “It turns out Lawrence Robb, who plays Mackenzie Boyd, is a McFly fan so when the band’s song came on, he was absolutely loving life.” Rachael Gill-Davis, who portrays Gail Loman, and Olivia Bromley, known as Dawn Fletcher on screen, were also present. However, it was Ash Palmisciano – Matty Barton in Emmerdale – who had a significant role at the wedding.

James shared, “Ash was part of my groom’s party – we came into Emmerdale at the same time. I’m disabled and playing a disabled character, he’s trans and playing a trans character so we bonded early on because of the commonalities we have,” adding, “In the last year, seeing him more outside of work, we’ve become so much closer. He’s met all my friends from Cheltenham and we’re planning when we’ll next hang out as a group. I haven’t felt like that in ages – where we have a group that all get together. I’m really happy that Ash and his girlfriend Shea are a part of that.”

James Moore, who took a break from Emmerdale in September for his wedding, speculates that on-screen romance may be on the cards for his character, Ryan. “I think it’s a possibility that Ryan and Gail get married. They’re working together, living together, they’re in a very serious relationship,” he shared. Since arriving on the show in 2018, James has received heart-warming feedback from the cerebral palsy community. “Even people who come up to me and say, ‘My friend or my sister or my cousin has cerebral palsy.’ That means a lot,” James reflected.

His now-wife Sophie has always admired his zest for life, saying, “The thing I love most about James is his can-do attitude. He’s thoughtful, generous, incredibly handsome,” and added, “If he wants to do something, there’s no stopping him. You don’t let anything hold you back and that really inspires me.”

The couple are planning a Florida honeymoon next year before they start thinking about having kids. “We want to go to Universal Studios, Disney, The Simpsons Park,” Sophie revealed. James chimed in, “We can’t do it straight away. We’re looking at next Easter but also we want to save for a house. We want to start a family in 2026 or 2027 but we need a house first. We need the room. I’ve got too many vinyl records to fit a baby in our flat! ” However, Sophie might have to make some space by moving her Sylvanian Families collection. “I’ve got too many! They’re everywhere. What’s mine is James’ – apart from the Sylvanians.”