Village Summer Wedding

Retail buyer Cecilia Duncan, 32, married account director Dan Poulsen, 34, almost 17 years after they'd first met. Cecilia says: "The day was a combination of English and Scandinavian traditions, as I am half Swedish and Dan is one quarter Danish. We met at the church door and entered together, which in Sweden signifies equality in marriage. I also wore a traditional Swedish bridal crown, which is a family heirloom."

"The church ceremony was my favourite part of the day. It took me by surprise how special it was to say our vows; it felt as though no one else was in the room. My mother sang with her choir and we had a mix of English hymns and traditional Swedish songs about love and nature."

"I chose my wedding dress because it looked like the gown my grandmother wore on her wedding day years ago. She was a dressmaker and I remember trying on her dress as a child. As soon as I saw the Pronovias gown, I knew it was The One."

"Our wedding meal was locally sourced and seasonal, and our fresh Victoria sponge cake was a classic English treat. We had a Schnapps toast instead of traditional champagne, and later in the evening, our Swedish smorgasbord of roll mops, rye bread, meatballs and ham staved off any hunger."

"Our first dance was to a Stevie Wonder song. Dan chose Isn't She Lovely and we practised our dance beforehand so we didn't embarrass ourselves! As a surprise, a few friends and the bridesmaids started entwining us with ribbons during the dance - another Swedish tradition, to 'bind' you together."

"My advice to brides: One of my friends told me that if you're not a regular church-goer, a religious ceremony can feel quite alien. She advised me to run through the steps in my head beforehand and really visualise every part. I could then just hold Dan's hand and focus on us, which made me relax."