TOURISTS were surprised at the sight of dozens of wedding guests in historical costumes in Salisbury Cathedral Close on Saturday when Harnham couple Chris and Kate Simpson held their marriage blessing service at the cathedral.

Chris, a cathedral verger, and Kate, who works at Salisbury Arts Centre, are both keen members of Civil War re-enactment group the Wardour Garrison, so they - and many of their guests - were in costume.

"We wanted to make the event really special and this seemed the perfect way to do it," said Kate.

"Because the cathedral, the garrison and the arts centre are so much part of our lives, we were able to bring all those aspects together."

The couple were married in July at Salisbury Register Office. Since then they have been planning the blessing service and the celebrations afterwards at the arts centre, while Kate has been making costumes by hand.

She was attended by her daughter Eva (11), whose dress she made, as she did her own stunning 18th century-style dress in dark red and gold and Chris's gold silk waistcoat and silver frock coat.

The couple met at the cathedral two years ago when Kate, a trained dancer and former member of Obelisk dance group, was organising a workshop there.

On Saturday, she was escorted down the aisle by her stepfather, Cliff Ware - who, like her mother Jane, was dressed more conventionally.

The service was conducted by the vicar of the Close, the Rev Michael Turner, and by the Rev Ann Philp, who was deputy head at South Wilts Grammar School when Kate was a pupil there.

Greeting the happy couple outside the great west door of the cathedral was a sword arch formed by members of the Wardour Garrison.

Among the guests was Salisbury MP Robert Key, a neighbour of the couple, who joined the choir at the last minute when it was realised they were a tenor short.