"I'm old-fashioned about the kids not having sex in the house ... Emma wants to be married so she can have that sort of intimacy with Steven.

"We have all discussed it for the past five months and keep coming back to marriage ... I believe it will strengthen their relationship."

Mrs Gregory's husband, Stephen, told the court his wife was 18 when they were married and they had been together for 20 years.

Mr Stoddart said that under the Marriage Act, for a person between 16 and 18, he had to establish there were exceptional or unusual circumstances before he could approve an application.

"Your situation is not ideal but it has happened," he said.

"Emma says she and Steven love each other but getting married at 16 is another matter.

"I appreciate the difficulties you have with your religious beliefs and the accommodation difficulties at home but there is not the necessary evidence to support the application.

"You will have to wait 13 months (until Emma turns 18) and I hope you feel the same way then about each other."

Outside the court Emma and Steven said they were bitterly disappointed.

"We got tongue-tied and weren't able to express our love in the way we wanted," Emma said.

"We know a lot of people our age don't bother about marriage but our friends have been really supportive ... they thought what we were doing was old-fashioned but kind of sweet."

Steven said he would now have to move out of the Gregory house and look for alternative accommodation.