By Emma Morley

Last updated at 13:58, Monday, 20 August 2012

Crowds of well-wishers gathered outside a church to celebrate the wedding of a popular Carlisle couple.

Corinne Roberts and Alan Thompson

The wedding of Corinne Roberts and Alan Thompson, of Belah, took place at St Cuthbert’s Church on Saturday.

It was a poignant moment for Corrine’s mother Irene Roberts-Green as she once thought she would never see her daughter marry.

Corinne has learning disabilities and after she was born the family were told she would never form a relationship, hold down a job or live independently.

Corinne, who was also celebrating her 39th birthday, wore a stunning Grecian-style wedding gown and was given away by her mother.

After a slight hitch when it was discovered that the wedding rings had been left in the safe at Irene’s house in Stanwix – mother and daughter were piped into the church through two special stained glass windows.

The family had the windows made in memory of the bride’s father Graham who passed away in 1984 and her brother Greg who tragically died of a brain tumour in 2006.

More than 250 people were in the church to watch the ceremony, which was conducted by the Rev Keith Teasdale, including family and friends from Japan, Greece and Canada.

Alan, 46, lit a candle for all their loved ones who were not with them.

Corinne, who has worked at the Garden Restaurant at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery for 20 years, said: “Being the first bride to pass through the new stained glass windows dedicated to my brother and my dad to marry my darling Alan was the best part of the day.”

Corinne and Alan met in 1999 at a disco at the Railway Club in Carlisle.

After the ceremony they celebrated with at a reception at the Tithe Barn, and the groom was proud to make his speech without using his notes.

First published at 11:24, Monday, 20 August 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk