THE wedding took place on January 24 at Devizes Registry Office, Snuff Street of Peter Matthews and Shirley Brookes of Hillworth Road, Devizes, after 25 years’ friendship.

The couple met through the bride’s sister posting an ad for a friend in the Western Daily Press in September 1991, and the couple met in December of that year.

Seventeen guests were there including long-standing friends Marian and Richard Godwin, of Hornchurch, Essex, which was a surprise as Richard had been ill before the ceremony and thought not well enough to attend.

Peter’s brother, Eric, was best man and a witness and he attended with his fiancee Fay Hale. A second witness was Karen Porter. The bride wore an Artigiano calf-length dress in teal and a bolero in burgundy and carried a posy of cream roses.

Shirley’s sister Lynne Murphy, son-in-law Ian Hunt and great nephew Thomas Hunt attended. Also Jenny Gunnar, a neighbour, who encouraged Peter in the early days to visit Shirley in Brussells where Shirley was living until retirement in 1994. She also made the wedding cake in white and lilac icing, decorated with rings, a Mr and Mrs and butterflies.

Afterwards there was a buffet at the Crown Inn, New Park Street.