An Orford couple tied the knot last weekend after rearranging their wedding day four times and they were the last couple to sign the paper register in Warrington ahead of a move to a more streamlined, online version.

Hayley and Dale Catterall were due to get married on April 9 last year but lockdown restrictions meant that their plans had to be put on hold.

The big day was rearranged for August 28 and then again for April this year with the fourth date proving to be the day they could finally say ‘I do’.

The couple got married at 4pm on Saturday, May 1 and were the last bride and groom to sign Warrington’s traditional register, with the service moving online on Tuesday, May 4.

Warrington Guardian:

Major changes to the way marriages in England are registered were introduced in a bid to modernise the system and make it more efficient.

It also corrected a historic anomaly to allow the names of both parents of the couple to be included in the marriage entry on the online register and on marriage certificates for the first time, whereas in the past it has only been fathers’ names.

The amendments mark the biggest changes to the marriage registration system since 1837.

Up until May 4, marriages were registered by the couple signing a register book, which was held at each register office, in churches and chapels, and at religious premises listed for marriage.

Creating a single electronic marriage register will save time and money and is a more secure system, eliminating the need for data to be extracted from hard copies.

Hayley, who is 30, said: “It made our wedding day that bit more special knowing it’s something we can tell people in years to come – that we were the last bride and groom ever in Warrington to sign the register.

“It will no doubt come up in the future at weddings for family and friends – it’s an honour.

“After everything we’ve been through, it really was fourth time lucky for us.”

Hayley and Dale were only allowed to invite 13 guests to the wedding service with the bride’s brothers and their partners, her sister and partner, and two sets of parents making up the wedding party.

Warrington Guardian:

The celebrations didn’t end there for the new Mr and Mrs Catterall.

With Hayley expecting a baby in September, the couple decided to do a gender reveal outside the registry office letting off a cannon that showered pink confetti down on their guests.

Hayley said: “It was very stressful leading up to the wedding day, with everything constantly changing.

“I needed to buy another wedding dress because I couldn’t fit in my original one with my bump, but the whole day was amazing.

“It felt very relaxed and I was much calmer than I thought I’d be.

“It was a small but intimate ceremony with all the people closest to us able to attend - we felt loved up all day.

“Doing our gender reveal was wonderful and seeing the pink confetti raining down on everyone made it extra special.”

Warrington Guardian:

Post wedding drinks and tapas were enjoyed by the small wedding party at The Pasha Lounge and Hayley and Dale enjoyed a night away in their motor home at Lady Heyes campsite on Sunday evening into the bank holiday.

The couple are planning to renew their wedding vows next April and hold their wedding reception at Park Manor, when they can invite all their family and friends.