All Saints’ Church in Marden held its first wedding for ten years on Saturday.

Stacey Gale followed in the footsteps taken by her mother and father, Dawn and Tony, 32 years ago, by marrying at the 12th- century church.

The church was packed with relatives, friends and villagers to see Stacey, 26, marry Christopher Jenkins, 28.

Stacey was brought up in nearby Patney, where her parents still live. Her grandparents, Bett and Henry Smith, ran the New Inn pub at Marden (now The Millstream) for 30 years. They also live in Patney.

The bridge and bridegroom, who live in Bratton, said getting married at Marden church was an easy decision.

Mrs Jenkins, a police control room operator in Devizes and a special constable, said: “I have got close connections with the community and spent a lot of my childhood in that area.”

Mr Jenkins, an electrician, said: “We thought it was nice to go back there and get married. It’s a nice little church. It’s set back from the road so not many people know it’s there.”

Mr Jenkins is a bell ringer in Westbury and his friends joined others to ring the church bells. After the ceremony and when they were signing the marriage register, a group of handbell ringers performed.

The Rev Gillie Baker, of Chirton, conducted the wedding. She knows the Gale family well and Stacey’s sister Anya, 20, one of the bridesmaids, was the first baby she christened.

Mrs Baker said: “I am delighted there was a wedding at All Saints’ Church in Marden. The church is in active use but there hasn’t been a wedding there for ten years.”

Mrs Gale, a receptionist at Wadworth Brewery in Devizes, said: “It was Stacey’s decision to marry at Marden church. She said she wanted a church wedding and it was a wonderful day.

“The church is very old and quaint. It’s a shame that a lot of village churches are not used for weddings anymore. “Hopefully this will inspire other people to use their local churches.

“We would like to thank Gillie Baker and everyone in the village who helped made the day so special.”