Hitched (in a trailer)

Paula Denham and Tom Maddocks had a bumpy start to married life - after they hired a tractor for their wedding carriage.

The couple tied the knot at the historic Hartington Hall Youth Hostel, near Buxton, and left the ceremony in a tractor trailer driven by a local farmer.

They were taken half a mile down the road to a campsite where celebrations for more than 250 guests lasted all weekend.

It was the culmination of an `unconventional' engagement which began last November when Tom, 47, proposed in front of 2,000 people just after receiving his MSc from Sheffield Hallam University.javascript:void(0)
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Paula, 46, who works for Manchester council, said: "Both Tom and I had arranged for the tractor to come and pick us up from the front of the hall, but our guests knew nothing about it and the look on their faces was priceless. I had never ridden in the trailer of a tractor before and I was grateful that we didn't have miles to travel as it was bumpy.

"A local farmer very kindly said he would drive us to the campsite for the price of a bottle of whisky. It was certainly a journey I will never forget. There was another twist to the ceremony too. We couldn't decide who to pick as the best man and chief bridesmaid and so held a raffle among our friends before the service to find the people for those roles."

The couple have been together for more than 20 years and have two children - Daniel, 18, and Rosie, 11.