AN EAST Lancashire bride-to-be told her fiance to "get nutted" when he revealed what he intended to wear on the big day.

Nigel Ingham, a site supervisor at Constablelee Primary School in Rawtenstall, has been a dancer with the world-famous Britannia Coconutters troupe, renowned for its distinctive uniform, for seven years.

The troupe which was formed in 1903 and performs at fetes and festivals throughout East Lancashire -- wears red and white-striped kilts, black breeches with bells on, white socks, clogs, white turban-style hats and blacked-up faces.

Since he proposed two-and-a-half years ago, Nigel has sworn to wear it for the service.

But Paula McInally, 30, who will marry Nigel a week today, has refused to go through with the service if he turns up in costume.

She says he will look exactly the same as the other 12 dancers and she fears she could find herself married to best man Tom Healey, the Britannia Coconutters secretary, instead.

Nigel, 38, said: "She said she wanted a traditional wedding and you can't get much more traditional than this, especially with the traditional Lancashire dancing clogs.

"As her family are Scottish she should approve of the kilt as Scottish men frequently wear kilts at their weddings -- maybe the stripes clash with her family's tartan or something.

"Either way she's said she won't do it and has hired me a suit instead but I'm still tempted, so she will just have to wait and see on the day."

Guests will still be treated to a special performance by the Britannia Coconutters, at the church and at Bacup Leisure Hall for the reception. The group of dancers and four musicians will also be joined by Stacksteads Brass Band.

Paula, a shop assistant, said: "The troupe raises a lot of money for charity and it's all a good laugh and everything -- but not on our wedding day.

"I'm going to be the only one wearing a dress so he can forget that skirt and if he did wear the uniform he'd have to keep at least 10 feet away from me so as not to get black all over me.

"Nigel is a nutter and he is already turning my son into one too so I'm having one day off from it all."

The couple, who live with Paula's two sons in Foxhill Drive, Whitewell Bottom, will tie the knot at St Anne's Church, Edgeside, Waterfoot.