The village of Kettleshulme turned out for the wedding of Rachel Pass and Steve Blood. It was only the second wedding in nine years at the little church shared by the Uniting Church and the Church of England.
Neighbours watched as Rachel, in a beautiful long white dress, walked the few yards from her home with brother Nic, who who gave her away. Little boys ran around in excitement. Inside the church was nearly half the population of the village.
Rachel and Steve have been together for 15 years and have two children: Charlie, 10, who was the ring-bearer and Lottie, four, a bridesmaid. They too were full of excitement as the Rev Michael Peat conducted the service.
After the vows and the signing of the register, the couple walked out to Etta James singing At Last! Then it was photographs in the sunshine and the reception in the nearby village hall.
Rachel, brought up in Whaley Bridge, is a mid-day assistant at Kettleshulme School, helping to make the lunch hour a highlight of the day. Steve works on North Sea oil rigs . They spent a short honeymoon in their favourite place, Ibiza.
Rachel said later: “The day was just lovely. We’ve had so much feedback from people who enjoyed it. Michael Peat was very helpful and supportive and made the service really personal. It was lovely that the village turned out for us.”