Former glamour model Alicia Douvall, 47, recently married business leader David Anstiss in a church ceremony attended by 90 friends and family. Douvall revealed in an interview with OK! Magazine that she had been celibate for 10 years and had previously resisted marriage.
"I'd switched off, I'd been celibate for 10 years and wasn't looking for anymore," Douvall stated. "I've always been the runaway bride who never wanted to get married. But when I finally did, it was the most amazing thing ever. Neither of us had been in love before which made it really special."
Anstiss, who is the director of Solution Engineering, proposed to Douvall six months into their relationship during a sunset moment in the Maldives. The couple subsequently planned their wedding in the UK.
Douvall experienced a last-minute alteration to her wedding dress just five weeks before the ceremony after a falling out with the bridal team over her £12,000 designer gown. She ultimately designed her own strapless satin gown, which featured a five-metre veil. The dress and her evening reception dress required last-minute adjustments after she lost a stone in weight.
Douvall's daughters, Georgia, 31, and Papaya, 14, served as bridesmaids. She raised them as a single mother, and they have developed a strong bond with Anstiss, who considers them his daughters. The reception took place at a country house, followed by a minimoon in Spain, with a honeymoon planned for the Seychelles next year.
Douvall, who has undergone more than 400 cosmetic procedures in her past, including 18 breast augmentations, 11 nose adjustments, and buttock implants, has credited finding love with helping her turn away from surgery. Over the past decade, she has focused on building a natural anti-aging skincare brand, Douvall's, which she launched with her daughter Georgia in 2011. The brand, initially funded by Douvall's £20,000 savings, utilizes cold-pressed argan oil and is now stocked in retailers such as Sephora, Superdrug, and Walmart.
Previously, Douvall's ambition was to have the largest breasts in Britain. Born Sarah Howes, she attended Springfield Park School and later stated that being sent to boarding school at age nine contributed to her confidence issues and obsession with her appearance, leading to a diagnosis of body dysmorphic disorder. After years of being known for her physical enhancements, she has reinvented herself as an advocate for natural aging. Douvall has expressed pride in moving past her previous chapter, emphasizing the need for honesty about self-acceptance and mental health in a world she described as "fake."