IT was certainly a wedding with a difference with the bride and groom and their guests all still at primary school. The happy couple Caitlin Price and Sam Shepherd walked into Holy Trinity Church Weston as wedding march music was played and their friend

IT was certainly a 'wedding' with a difference with the bride and groom and their guests all still at primary school.

The happy couple Caitlin Price and Sam Shepherd walked into Holy Trinity Church Weston as wedding march music was played and their friends were gathered for the special event to mark a crucial chapter in their school work and a celebration of friendship.

Also among the guests were many of the children's parents.

All 29 children were from Yr 1 and 2 at Weston Primary School and the 'wedding' was part of the International Primary Curriculum (IPC). They invited Venus Class from reception year as guests.

Caitlin and Sam actually exchanged rings and vowed to be friends and the best man was Oliver Miall.

All the children dressed in their best clothes and wearing, of course, beautiful buttonholes of flowers for the boys and with a number of the girls carrying posies.

After the service, which was conducted by Holy Trinity vicar Rev Silke Tetzlaff, the 'wedding' party retired for the traditional wedding breakfast back to the school with fruit juice and a few nibbles as well as a cake and speeches followed by a disco.

"It was wonderful to see all the children at a celebration of friendship," said Rev Tetzlaff.

"It was delightful to have this service for children wanting to be friends and also wanting to make a public statement. There was no rehearsal; the children were wonderful and there were even a few tears among the parents watching they were so touched."

Rev Tetzlaff added: "I went to the reception at the school afterwards and the children had sandwiches, crisps and the Caitlin and Sam cut a double chocolate cake and there were speeches and toasts."

Jennifer Moles the year one and two Earth Class teacher, who organised the event with fellow teacher Katherine Tiffin, said: "The children spent a week planning the 'wedding', wrote invitations to their parents, drew and labelled their outfits, designed their ideal wedding lists and planned the wedding breakfast.

"The reason for the 'wedding' is that we follow the International Primary Curriculum and our new topic is celebrations and the IPC suggests each topic is started with a WOW factor to get the children enthused.

"Children made an arch at school and confetti was thrown while parents donated food and drink for the reception. It was a great day.