'We're the Sunderlands - and we got married in Sunderland'

It was the day when the American Sunderlands met the Sunderland Sunderlands.

All in all, it was a super day for Sunderland when John and Janis Sunderland, from San Jose in California, came face-to-face with their namesakes in 1991.

A super set of Sunderlands

John and Janis came to Wearside to renew their wedding vows and decided to invite people with the same surname to join them.

They celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary by repeating their vows in St Peter’s Church, in Monkwearmouth.

To help celebrate, they traced other people with the name of Sunderland and invited them to the wedding.

'Very impressed with Sunderland'

John said: “The idea started when we renewed our vows after five years, and we thought what should we do for the next five. So we decided to do it in Sunderland.”

Janis said: “We are very impressed with Sunderland and we have made so many new friends.

San Jose to Sunderland in 1991

“We are pleased by the generosity of the people of Sunderland. They could certainly teach San Jose a lesson in how to treat its guests.”

Tell us if you were one of the Sunderlands who came to Sunderland. Or maybe you are a Sunderland from Sunderland.

Get in touch to tell us more by emailing [email protected]