dressed in their Sunday best, youngsters said ‘I do’ at an elaborate wedding ceremony in Broad Town near Royal Wootton Bassett – a celebration engineered by their teachers to better illustrate the concept of marriage.
Four-year-old Broad Town Pre-School pupils Penny and Daniel promised to love and cherish each other in sickness and in health in front of their solemn band of bridesmaids and best men at the village’s Christ Church, as they were joined in marriage by their supervisor cum vicar Jennie White.
The young couple were snapped throughout the service by one of their classmates turned ‘professional’ photographer to immortalise the day.
The idea of a mock-wedding to better explain the bond of marriage to the children emerged after one of the pupils attended a wedding and returned to school full of anecdotes from the ceremony.
Most pre-schoolers had never attended a wedding and struggled to understand what it meant.
“A little girl went to a wedding and we tried to role-play it but the children didn’t understand,” said Jennie.
“We decided to incorporate this in our planning on celebrations. We made all the food for the reception this morning and we made the bouquets and button holes.
“We asked staff to choose a bride and groom and we got five bridesmaids and four groomsmen. We even had someone playing a wedding photographer.
“The wedding has covered all seven areas of our curriculum and it has brought a sense of excitement to the children.
“The parents thought I was mad at first but they are 100 per cent behind it and they’ve gone out of their way to get costumes.”
The order of ceremony was inspired by pre-school deputy head Louise Coward’s own wedding service.
The nervous wait for groom Daniel and best man Jamie before the bride arrives at the church
Cerian Lye-Owens was among the parents in attendance with her son Lachlan, dressed in a dashing grey suit for the occasion.
She admitted the prospect of a full-blown wedding complete with a reception seemed strange at first but, along with her three-year-old boy, she grew excited as it approached.
“At first I thought it was quite unusual but they all did their little flower arrangements and they made the food and all dressed up,” she said.
“They have learned so many things from it. And they’ve been so excited.
“It’s more fun for them that way. If they go to a wedding now they will have an idea of what it’s about and what it means.”
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