Wedding show celebrates 900 years of church

Organiser Carol Atkinson said she got the idea after her grandmother and mother got married at the church

A church has been "buzzing with laughter and memories" with the arrival of a wedding show to commemorate its 900th year, its organisers have said.

St Andrew's Church in Haughton-le-Skerne, Darlington, had its first recorded marriage in 1569 and is one of the oldest churches in Darlington.

Organiser Carol Atkinson said she got the idea for the show, which runs until Sunday lunchtime, "many years ago" after both her grandmother and mother got married at the church.

Sarah Beavis, who was among those to share her wedding attire, said she also had "strong ties" to the church, as she got married there in 2010 and her parents did in 1979.

The exhibition includes more than 30 wedding garments, photos and snippets of memories of marriages at St Andrew's.

Mrs Atkinson said the show had been a "wonderful success" at "our beautiful church".

She said St Andrew's had been "buzzing with laughter and memories, with many visitors bumping into friends they haven't seen for decades".

Sarah Beavis said she chose a "Disney princess dress" on her wedding day in 2010

Mrs Beavis, from Darlington, said the church was "the centre" of Haughton-le-Skerne.

"I chose the church because my parents got married there on 11 August 1979."

The 40-year-old said she "couldn't have asked for better" of her special day on 29 May 2010.

Sarah Beavis said she "couldn't have asked for better" of her special day on 29 May 2010

"My husband, Michael, is in the navy and it was a semi-military wedding with a mix of lads from the SAS and royal marines," she continued.

"It's meant be good luck to have a sailor at your wedding...not sure what it means to marry one though."

She added everyone was "quite shocked" by her dress, because she had "always been a bit of a tomboy but I chose a 'Disney princess' dress...it was the polar opposite to my personality".

Sarah Beavis said the church was "the centre" of Haughton-le-Skerne

Parking bollards were decorated in the 900-year church celebrations

Meanwhile, a group of knitters picked up their needles once again to add to the celebrations.

The Haughton Ladies Who Knit group stitched a range of wedding-themed characters for the exhibition and decorated parking bollards in the village green.

The Haughton Ladies Who Knit group stitched a range of wedding-themed characters for the exhibition