Leah and Justin’s wedding sees VJ, Tori and Ava return

Home and Away has released brand new photos of Leah and Justin’s wedding, which airs on Australian screens next week.

Next Tuesday’s episode of Home and Away will see the pair’s long-awaited wedding, as the couple solidify their love in an elegant ceremony with their nearest and dearest.

Dressed in a classic white gown, Leah (Ada Nicodemou) walks down the aisle towards the man she loves, after a drama-filled five-year romance with Justin (James Stewart).

Leah and Justin’s relationship has been put to the ultimate test over the past year. The pair’s ordeal at the hands of Vita Nova late last year left Justin’s life on the line, leading to a breakdown for Leah which left a big question mark hanging over their future.

Thankfully, the pair have found their way back to each other, and recently set about planning their big day in record time.

After Leah was accused of micro-managing proceedings, she eventually agreed to let Justin organise the whole thing.

Other than the dress – which Justin sensibly delegated to his bride-to-be – everything about the big day is being organised by the groom, and Leah will have no idea what’s in store until the day itself.

As such, there’ll be a few surprises in store, including John (Shane Withington) being enlisted as the celebrant to officiate the joyous union.

Leah and Justin’s nuptials will also see the return of some familiar faces.

As we previously reported, Justin’s sister Tori (Penny McNamee) is set to head back to Summer Bay for the big day, as are Leah’s son VJ (Matt Little) and Justin’s daughter Ava (Annabel Wolfe).

As the big day begins, Justin arrives at the vineyard wedding venue flanked by Tori and Ava.

Shortly after, Leah and Alf (Ray Meagher) arrive at the vineyard in a vintage bridal car.

For someone who for many years was adamant that she would never get married again, Leah looks perfectly content as she takes in her surroundings and Alf helps her out of the car.

Thankfully, unlike many Summer Bay weddings over the past three decades, this one goes off without a hitch.

“When they were suggesting that Leah and Justin get married, I did ask (the writers) for that,” Ada told Perth Now. “I said, ‘Oh please, can it just be nice? She has been through so much!’

“We all thought it would be really nice to just see a couple who love each other, and celebrate that – and have a pretty wedding.”

As Justin has kept the wedding plans a secret, Leah has no idea what’s in store. She’s disappointed when she learns that some of her close family members won’t be able to make it, so enlists Alf (Ray Meagher) to walk her down the aisle.

However, on the big day itself, she’s surprised when Alf tells her that he can’t walk her down the aisle after all…

The reason: her son VJ is here after all, and he’s going to do it!

The return of VJ, who was last seen fleeing the bay with de facto daughter Luc in 2017, was previously hinted at when Justin and Leah spoke about the immediate family members who would attend from overseas.

Whilst many fans doubted that VJ would appear, we pointed out at the time that Matt Little now works on the show as a production assistant, meaning a return could easily be facilitated if required.

All eyes are on the breathtaking bride as VJ walks her down the aisle, with Justin bowled over by the sight of his bride-to-be walking towards him.

VJ delivers a smiling Leah to Justin.

Leah takes her place at Justin’s side as the ceremony gets underway, with Theo (Matt Evans) as Justin’s best man.

John gets his moment in the spotlight as he’s granted his wish to officiate the wedding, and despite Leah’s previous reluctance to have John as her celebrant, it seems she’s more than happy to have her close friend perform the important role.

The pair exchange their vows.

We see Irene (Lynne McGranger) and Roo (Georgie Parker) amongst the guests, smiling as Leah and Justin profess their love for one another.

Even Alf looks to be shedding a tear as he proudly watches on.

There are cheers all around as John pronounces Leah and Justin as husband and wife.

Justin and Leah mark the start of their marriage with a kiss.

Tori, who has returned from England especially, delivers a heartfelt speech.

Tori’s appearance had already been known after Penny was spotted by fans filming at Palm Beach, with the actor herself apparently stating that she would be back for just a couple of weeks of filming for the nuptials.

Tori had left Summer Bay in 2021 following her own marriage to fellow doctor Christian Green (Ditch Davey), with the pair moving to the UK with Tori’s infant daughter Grace after Tori succesfully applied for a position at a London hospital.

Penny told TV Week that after leaving for a new life in London with Christian and Grace, it was always going to take “something big” to bring her back to Summer Bay.

 “Justin’s wedding is a big enough reason,” she explains. “They have such a close relationship, it made sense she came back for it.”

“I felt I owed it to the fans, because that wedding would have felt inauthentic if Tori wasn’t there,” she adds. “I felt loyalty to Jimmy [James] and to the storylines I played for six years. In the end, it was a no-brainer.”

The beautiful ceremony was filmed in November last year at a winery in Sydney’s Hunter Valley.

We previously reported on our suspicions that the pair could get married in the Hunter Valley, after a crew member posted a photo from the famous wine region on social media during a location recce last year.

Shortly afterwards, Shane Withington jokingly commented on ‘X’ as to whether their choice of accommodation on a location shoot was the best idea.

The pair have been engaged since late last year, when Leah unexpectedly proposed to Justin as he was fighting for his life following their kidnap by Vita Nova.

There were some stumbles along the way, with Leah calling off the engagement and struggling to find her way back to Justin after a stay in a clinic, but things are finally back on track on Australian screens with the pair preparing to marry next week.

All photos courtesy of Jeremy Greive and Channel 7.

The wedding of Leah and Justin airs Tuesday 9th April at 7pm on Channel 7 and 7plus. It is expected to air in the UK on Wednesday 29th May.