A NAILSEA minister used her ‘influence’ to secure a gloriously-sunny day for her wedding to her soul mate.

Rev Mandy Stevens married computer programmer and Methodist preacher Niall Briggs, of Ashton in Bristol, at Nailsea Methodist Church, which she leads, along with West Town Methodist Church, in Backwell.

Guests travelled from as far afield as Copenhagen and Scotland for the service, performed by Rev David Sharp of Nailsea and Rev Hilary Cooke of Bristol.

Mandy, who celebrated her 40th birthday three weeks before the happy occasion, said: “It was a brilliant day - the sun shone and everyone had a great time.

“There were 140 wedding guests but more at the church because people from both congregations came as well, which was great.

“It was a nice touch that a team from the congregation at Nailsea decorated the Wesley Building with bunting and flowers and different groups from the church like the Girls Brigade made large paper flowers to decorate the walls.”

Rev Mandy Briggs, as she will now be known, met her 48-year-old husband two and a half years ago at a vocations day at Wesley College in Bristol.

Rev Sharp will fill-in for Mandy while she is on sabbatical, following their honeymoon in Bruges, until September 3.

The couple will make their home in Station Road in Nailsea.