Published at 16:21, Tuesday, 26 February 2013

A CHURCH hall was transformed into a candlelit dining room as a dozen soon-to-be-wed couples enjoyed a pre-marriage treat.

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Hosts Canon Ian Hook, of Barrow’s St Mark’s Church, and the Reverend Gary Cregeen, the rural Dean of Barrow, swapped their dog collars for dickey bows on Saturday night.

The couples enjoyed a lavish three-course meal, courtesy of the town’s Anglican churches.

Among the diners were Walney couple Paul Taylor and Paula Lorne, who are due to tie the knot on June 22 at St Mark’s.

After a 15-year engagement, Mr Taylor, 48, and Miss Lorne, 43, decided the time was right to get married.

The couple had planned to get married two years ago, but Miss Lorne’s mother, Margaret Pearson, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in April last year.

Miss Lorne said: “When my mum died we decided to get married, to help take our mind off it. We just thought it was time.” Planning for the big day began in October, but Miss Lorne joked that preparations had been fairly one-sided, adding: “I’ve done all the planning, he’s just got to organise the suits!”

Designer Maggie Sproxton and her team started work at 10am on Saturday, transforming the room into a romantic venue.

Chefs Susan and Tony Benson prepared the three-course menu, featuring an array of delicious goodies, and Furness College hospitality students, Katherine Cox and Rachael Barker, provided service for the evening.

Mr Taylor said the setting provided the perfect opportunity for the couples to bounce wedding ideas around.

He said: “It’s a good idea because when you ask people for advice who are already married they tend to forget a lot of the planning aspects.

“But you tend to pick up little tricks that you might not have thought of, from people who are in the same boat as you.”

Mr Cregeen said: “This has been our gift for them. We wanted it to be a special evening in what is a special year for them.”

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