Married in his own church!

The Rev Gough was due to wed Maria Woodhouse at Wesley Hall Methodist Church in Blackburn.

And the reception was being held at St Paul's Methodist Church in Audley which Phil also looks after, along with Hawthorne Street Methodist Church.

The couple met 18 months ago, shortly after Phil moved to Blackburn to take up his post with the church.

Maria is from Lammack, Blackburn, and works for a housing association in Preston.

Phil, who is originally from Liverpool, had just finished three years' training in Manchester and admitted he had not expected to meet his future wife so soon.

He said: "It was something of a surprise!"

Phil and Maria, both 30, were being married by the Rev Geoffrey Baines, superintendent for the Methodist Church in Blackburn.

A sit-down meal at St Paul's was to be followed by a bring and share meal for between 200 and 300 people and a disco.

The couple are planning a honeymoon in the Algarve, Portugal, and will live in the Methodist Manse in Queens Road, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.