PHOTOS: I Got Married With 80 Bridesmaids

Dance teacher Katie Dalby was going through agonies trying
to choose which of her pupils to be bridesmaids at her
wedding. So she picked them all.
The 26-year-old ended up with 80 attendants at her
marriage to fireman Norman Gooch, 37, in Harwich, Essex.
The bridesmaids and page boys – 76 of whom are pictured
here – included all pupils from Katie’s Boogie Shoes Dance
Academy, three sisters-in-law, a niece, a cousin and her
best friend.

The line of bridesmaids make their way into the church
In front of the delighted rows of bridesmaids dressed in
identical pink dresses, Miss Dalby, 26, and her new husband,
37-year-old Gooch, took their vows.
Miss Dalby said: “The children were all very excited when I
told them I was getting married – some of them had been
asking me for more than a year.
It just couldn’t have been fair to choose two or three of
them so the only solution was to invite 74 of them – I
didn’t want to exclude anyone.
I also invited my three sisters-in-law, a niece, a cousin and
my best friend to be bridesmaids and it made my special
day even more special. ‘We chose the colour of their
dresses and the mums did a brilliant job of dressing the
children.”
Uniform: The brides students at her dance academy were
told what colour to wear
One mother said: “My daughter was thrilled that she got to
be one of Katie’s bridesmaids – it was such a typically kind
thing for her to do to involve the youngsters in her special
day.”
The bridesmaids – aged two to 17 – were mostly pupils at
her Boogie Shoes dance academy in Harwich, Essex which
holds classes in ballroom, disco and rock and roll dancing.
There were so many that the road outside St Nicholas
Church in the town had to be closed off on Saturday so the
procession could line-up before filing into the church.
Rector the Revd Canon Peter Mann said: “There were a
very large number of bridesmaids but there was room for
them in the pews nearest to the aisle and they formed a
guard of honour as the bride and groom left the church.
Delight: Members of Kate Dalby’s dance class, young and old,
were invited to be a key part of her special day.
After the ceremony, the guests including the bridesmaids
and many of their parents went to a local seafront hotel for
the reception – after a day to remember and a wedding
for the record books.
Back in March this year, a class of primary school pupils
watched their Miss become Mrs after they all turned up
for their teacher’s wedding as part of a school project.
Lynette O’Callaghan, 29, married Greg Stevenson, 25, at St
Botolph’s Church in Saxilby, Lincolnshire, on her birthday last
Friday.
As well as being cheered on by family and friends, Mrs
Stevenson tied the knot with her 24 pupils from years one
and two at Saxilby Primary School children looking on.
The pupils, all of whom had permission to take time off
school, turned up in their uniforms to sing hymns in the
church and shower the bride with confetti.
- Informationng