CONJOINED IN HOLY MATRIMONY

Abby and Brittany have again sparked public interest after Abby's 2021 wedding recently made headlines

- JANICE BECKETT-MSIZA

T'S the kind of romantic scene that plays itself out at many weddings.

The bride wraps her arms around the neck of her new husband, hips swaying as they lip sync to their favourite song.

But what sets this first dance apart is the fact the groom is sharing it with both his new wife and his sister-in-law.

And images of their unusual special day have gripped the world's imagination and triggered plenty of commentary on social media.

The bride is Abigail Hensel and the groom is Josh Bowling, a 33-year-old nurse and army veteran. Abby's sister is Brittany Hensel and the sisters are no strangers when it comes to public interest.

They're the most famous dicephalous twins in the world and one of only a handful of siblings conjoined in such a way to survive. They share a single body with separate heads and necks, each have their own heart and lungs, a stomach and one kidney, but they share a colon, bladder, rectum and reproductive organs.

The 34-year-olds from Minnesota in the US were once TV stars, but they retreated from the limelight when they became teachers to focus on their careers. Then suddenly they were back in the news, dancing at Abby and John's wedding, the bride lovely in a white gown, the groom dashing in a grey suit.

The video of the couple swaying to Losing Control by Matt Simmons was shared by Josh's mom, Heidi Bowling, on Facebook soon after the November 2021 wedding. But it only recently resurfaced and quickly went viral and people were neither subtle nor kind.

What about Brittany, some asked. Abby was married so what did that mean for her sister - would she be able to wed too one day? What would intimacy between husband and wife look like? Abby was even called selfish for getting married because it meant her sister would always be the third wheel.

On and on it went until the twins posted a clip on TikTok addressing the speculation.