Kathy conducts first Unitarian Sidmouth wedding in decade - and the last was her own!

A UNITARIAN minister has married the first couple to tie the knot at Sidmouth's Unitarian Old Meeting since her own wedding there 11 years ago.

The Reverend Kathy Packer travelled from Newton Abbot to marry Lawrence Tilley and Hazel Cummings on Saturday and act as registrar.

The couple, who live in London, chose Sidmouth for their wedding as Hazel's grandparents live in Sidbury and her parents, Allen and Carole, are moving to the village from Reading.

Rev Packer (formerly Timiney) and her Unitarian minister husband Brian, were married at the chapel in 1998 and the previous wedding to them took place in around the early 1980s.

She said: "Brian was the minister there but now he is retired I am."

She conducts services in Sidmouth twice a month - every second and fourth Sunday afternoon.

Lawrence's mother Sheila said: "The Unitarian church was chosen by the couple as it gave them the freedom to incorporate their own ideas into the service and accommodated both Hazel's Church of England upbringing and Lawrence's Unitarian beliefs."

The couple met at university in Leicester. Lawrence, son of Gordon and Sheila, is a freelance web designer by day and by night a singer/songwriter who plays guitar.

Hazel, originally from Reading, works for the charity Teach First. Her uncle, the Very Reverend William Cummings, retired Dean of Battle, and Mrs Tilley gave readings.

Musicians were Joseph Reed and James Bluring, friends of Hazel and best man was Pete Boulter who Lawrence has known since infant school.

The couple are honeymooning in Hong Kong and Bali.