Watch wedding party dance down aisle to East 17 song at Nineties-themed ceremony

This is the bizarre moment a vicar presiding at a wedding danced down the aisle in front of the bride to the beat of 90s pop icons East 17.
Couple Nick and Nina Makin persuaded their whole bridal party to cavort down the aisle in one of the most unusual weddings ever witnessed.
The pair were joined by their vicar, parents, bridesmaids and best man in throwing shapes in church to 'House of Love' - all of which was captured on film.
Nina, 28, said she had been inspired by a mobile phone advert shown ahead of the 2011 Royal Wedding.
"We loved the T-Mobile advert spoof of Wills and Kate's wedding," she said.
"Ever since I saw that I've always fancied giving it a go."
Filmed at St Bartholomew's Church in London - famous for featuring in Four Weddings and a Funeral - the parody showed Royal lookalikes celebrating their marriage in a rather un-Regal style.
Taking inspiration from the hit video, Nina and Nick, 27, filmed their wedding dance at the Holy Trinity Church in Horwich, Bolton.
Nina said her family, friends and vicar Stephan Fletcher were excited to be part of the novel ceremony.
"Myself and two of the bridesmaids have spent half our lives on a dance floor competing and so felt confident to pull it off," she said.
"Nick and I have never taken ourselves seriously which is why we've always got on so well.
"My whole wedding party are a group of comedians and so were instantly up for it. The vicar was in his element when I asked him.
"He actually spent half an hour showing me videos he'd seen over the past few years and was so excited to finally be involved in such a fun ceremony."

The PE-teaching pair, who met at the University of Cumbria, followed their unique entrance with an Alice in Wonderland-themed reception.

Religion loses clout: Why many say that’s a bad thing

More Americans today say religion’s influence is losing ground just when they want it to play a stronger role in public life and politics.
A new Pew Research Center survey finds 72 percent of Americans say religion’s influence is declining in society — the highest percentage since Pew began measuring the trend in 2001, when only 52 percent held that view.
“Most people (overwhelmingly Christians) view this as a bad thing,” said Greg Smith, associate director of Pew’s Religion & Public Life Project. “That unhappiness may be behind their desire for more religion and politics.”
Growing numbers want their politicians to pray in public and for their clergy to endorse candidates from the pulpit. And nearly half of Americans say business owners with religious objections to gay marriage should to be able to refuse wedding-related services to same-sex couples.
There are three ways to look at the findings, released Monday:
More Americans say amen to mixing faith, politics
Just as campaigns ramp up for the 2014 mid-term elections:
* 49 percent want churches and other houses of worship to “express their views on day-to-day social and political issues,” up from 43 percent in 2010.
* 41 percent say political leaders today show “too little expression of religious faith and prayer,” up from from 37 percent in the last mid-term election. “People still see religion as one of the foundational sources of morality. They still want to see that in their leaders,” said John Green, professor of political science at the University of Akron and senior research adviser for the Pew Research Center.
* 32 percent support clergy endorsing candidates from the pulpit. That’s a jump from 24 percent in 2010 although nearly twice as many — “63 percent, including some highly religious people — still say ‘No, no, no,’” Smith said.
“It’s a surprising reversal of trends,” Smith said. In 2010, 52 percent said churches should keep out of politics.
People stick to their corners
Party identification and social attitudes “are becoming even more polarized between people who identify with a religion — mostly Christians — and those who claim no religious label (the “nones”) said Smith.
There is discontent and divisiveness within each of the two political parties, but not enough drive people to jump the fence.
Democrats are split on whether their party is too liberal or not liberal enough. Republicans, particularly white evangelicals, say their party is not conservative enough on resisting government spending, abortion, same-sex marriage and illegal immigration.
Even so, the survey finds no noteworthy change since 2010 in party preferences: 48 percent of registered voters identify with or lean to the Democratic Party and 43 percent favor the Republican Party. Most black Protestants and “nones” expect to vote Democratic this fall, while evangelical Protestants expect to vote for the GOP candidate in their district.
The public is almost exactly split on whether wedding vendors, such as caterers or florists, should be required to provide services to all clientele (49 percent) or be allowed to decline if they object for religious reasons (47 percent).
Religious identity was, unsurprisingly, the deciding factor here.

Those who said businesses should serve all clientele, included 61 percent of “nones,” 57 percent of Catholics and 59 percent of black Protestants.

Lauren Conrad Reveals How She Chose Her 10 Bridesmaids For Wedding: "The More the Merrier!"

Choosing her bridesmaids was just like saying "yes" to William Tell's proposal — it was easy! Now Mrs. Tell, Lauren Conrad revealed how she picked her 10 (yes, 10!) bridesmaids for her dream wedding. Her motto for the important decision? "The more the merrier!" she explained via her personal blog on Thursday, Sept. 18.
"I didn't mind the idea of having a large bridal party… to a point (you don't want more people standing up than in seats!)," the 28-year-old wrote. "It really is a personal preference, and I knew that having a bigger bridal party with all of my best friends was the way to go."
Choosing 10 girls to stand by her side as she wed her 2012 Valentine's Day blind date wasn't stressful. In fact, it was "one of the most fun parts," noted the Paper Crown designer, who asked her younger sister Breanna and her "besties" to be a part of her special day. (Conrad's wedding planner Cassandra Herschenfeld, the owner of Cassandra Bette Events, was also a bridesmaid.)
Us broke news that the lifestyle mogul and Tell, 34, tied the knot in California on Sept. 13. Clad in a Badgley Mischka couture gown, the bride had an effortless glow dancing the night away with Tell and posing for pics with her bridal party. Despite the big group, she encouraged future brides on her website to do what feels right — even though their gals may have to sit in the front row at the ceremony for space.
She also wrote that it's nice to invite friends who live out of state. "That doesn't mean that they should be excluded. My advice? Include your far away friends anyways, even if they won't be able to take part in all the activities," she wrote. "I also think it's a good idea to take into consideration people who are going to be in your life for a long time, like your partner's sister(s) or best friends."
Conrad acknowledged that choosing bridesmaids is a personal decision, so even if you only want two people at the altar with you, that's perfect too. She added: "You want to make sure it's everything you've dreamed of."

For more details on the couple's ceremony — plus tons of photos, the reception playlist, and what presents they exchanged — pick up the new issue of Us Weekly.

Most embarrassing person at a wedding? Mother of the groom...but couples who do a surprise dances make guests cringe too

Romance, emotion, tears and lots of cringe-worthy moments - that's what to expect at your average wedding, according to a new survey.
The poll of 1,500 newlyweds found that the mother of the groom comes top of the list of most embarrassing people on the big day, while the mother of the bride cries on average six times.
Inappropriate jokes and fashion faux pas are also regular wedding features with the best man cracking two below the belt gags and, more often than not, two guests turning up in the same outfit.
And that's not where the cringe-inducing moments end. Twenty two per cent of couples now choreograph a special routine for their first dance and 15 per cent of couples are so proud of their achievement that they also share the dance on YouTube.
The new wedding report, commissioned by QHotels, also found that there is on average one unexpected romance at every wedding and five people who can't hold back the tears.
British couples still hanker after tradition at their nuptials with 39 per cent serving a traditional Sunday Roast for their wedding breakfast. But only 28 per cent of British couples stick with a traditional church wedding, compared to 33 per cent who opted for a registry office.
Thirty five per cent of UK couples opt for a traditional decor and feel and couples also play it safe when it comes to the weather. Half of all weddings take place in summer, with the other half spread over the rest of the year.
The report also found that couples chose an average of two bridesmaids and two groomsmen. Of the couples surveyed, all said the people they chose to honour were childhood friends.
The wedding tunes making the big day playlist include Savage Garden's Truly Madly Deeply (chosen by eight per cent polled), The Goo Goo Dolls' Iris (favoured by seven per cent) and both Jason Mraz's I’m Yours and Amazed by Lonestar chosen by five per cent.

But however good the music not all wedding guests stay for the long haul - designated drivers call it a night at 11.55pm, although only 55 per cent of couples noticed them leaving.

Hillary Clinton Flips a Steak in Iowa

Sitting under one of three huge white tents set up in a hot air balloon field outside of Indianola, Iowa, Bethany Moriarty was digging into a plate of steak. The attraction of a “Steak Fry” should ostensibly be the meat, but Moriarty, 30, who has “Ready for Hillary” buttons festooned across her chest, is hopping with excitement to see former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“I’m by far the most political person of my family, so I kinda dragged them here,” she says, gesturing across the table to her mother, Rosemary, 65, and her sister, Amanda, 35.
Like many other of the 7,000 Iowans who’ve gathered for Iowa Senator Tom Harkin’s 37th annual Steak Fry, a Democratic fundraiser that has become known as a presidential launchpad, their main topic of conversation is Clinton’s potential candidacy in 2016. “I caucused for Barack Obama in 2008,” Bethany says. “A lot was the hype and the hope we felt behind him and I still feel it. But I feel he’s been pushed aside.”All three came to the Steak Fry this year to see Clinton speak on her first trip back to Iowa since her 2008 caucus loss. Bethany says she’ll caucus for Clinton in 2016, if she runs. But Rosemary is dubious. “I don’t think America is ready,” she says. “There’s a lot of people who won’t vote for her because she’s a woman.
Like Barack Obama, the first African American, when he got elected, but Congress wouldn’t work with him.”Amanda, twirling her fork pensively in her potato salad, chimes in: “And if you think that, than there are 100,000 people who think it,” she says. “Well, if you say that it becomes true,” Bethany counters. “We have to believe and work to make that not true.” Her mother and sister shrug, clearly not moved to action.Clinton’s candidacy is still a figment of Bethany’s—and most of the national media’s—imagination. But that hasn’t stopped widespread speculation that Clinton’s visit to the Harkin event represents the unofficial kickoff of her 2016 run. Her shadow campaign, “Ready for Hillary,” has parked a bus emblazoned with its logo outside the Steak Fry and volunteers are waiting five-deep to sign up.The steak fry has a carnival-like atmosphere. Iowans in droves wear t-shirts colored for their favorite state and local candidates. By far the most t-shirts are light blue with a simply stated, “Ready.” on them — shorthand for “Ready for Hillary.” Attendees carry coolers of beer and lemonade and lay out blankets on the slightly-damp ground. They sing along to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.,” as they wait for the show to begin.As is his prerogative on his big day, Harkin is keeping his own schedule.
He is retiring and this will be his final Steak Fry. The event is a far cry from the 52 people who attended the first one in 1972. The largest year yet, 2007, saw more than 10,000 people arrive to watch Clinton and then rivals Barack Obama and John Edwards. This year, Harkin and the Clintons arrive from a morning event in Des Moines with 450 Harkin donors 20 minutes after the speaking schedule was due to begin. But they take their time, eating lunch, as Harkin always does, before greeting the press and flipping the traditional steak for the assembled cameras. More than 200 reporters from around the world are present to witness potential history.“Are you running?” reporters repeatedly shout at Hillary. She demurs. She even pretends not to notice when, the event having finally started down the hill, a speaker starts asking the crowd: “Are you fired up? Are you ready to go? Are you ready for Hillary? ARE YOU READY FOR HILLARY?” he screams as the crowd roars.“Are you ready, Hillary?” a reporter yells. She ignores all this and chats away with Harkin and his wife Ruth. Her husband can be heard saying: “As long as I’m still married to her, I’m doing good.”After Harkin introduces the Clintons as the “come back couple,” Hillary takes the stage to chants of her name. “Wow!” she says. “Hello Iowa. I’m baaaaack!” — a line made famous by the movieIndependence Day.

As the crowd cheers and whistles, Clinton says she has a lot to look forward to these days. “First, Bill and I are on constant grandchild watch… So don’t be surprised if we suddenly go sprinting off the stage.”“And then of course there’s that other thing,” she adds, to a standing ovation. “Well it is true, I am thinking about it. But for today, that is not why I’m here,” she says.The crowd expresses disapproval at this. “I’m here for the steak!” she says, which gets them cheering again. “For years I was more likely to be eating yak meat in Mongolia, and enjoying it, but thinking a lot of being back home.”It’s all red meat for the “Ready for Hillary” crowd, of course. But others say her election to the presidency isn’t a sure thing. Carter Bell, president of the University of Iowa Democrats, 20, says she likes what she’s hearing from Clinton, but she’s keeping an open mind for the 2016 caucuses. “I like [Vice President] Joe Biden a lot, too. And I’ve met [Maryland Governor] Martin O’Malley a bunch of times as he’s been out here a lot,” she says. “And I love Elizabeth Warren, she’s great, but she may not run.” Bell says Clinton will have to do some work to earn her support.Sitting on a beach chair nearby, Judy Keller, 66, Des Moines consumer affairs representative, is convinced. She says she regrets supporting John Edwards in 2008. “I didn’t know that she‘d have a chance in ’08,” she says. “ I thought a man would win. But now it’s time. It’s time for a woman. I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

Wedding ring lost in Vail returned 5 years later, Sue and David Brenner will display ring

A man who lost his wedding ring five years ago in Vail now has it back.
David Brenner and his wife, Sue, returned to Vail last weekend to pick up the ring that was lost five years ago. It was found by a Vail maintenance worker in July.
"I'm a loan officer, I'm a very busy guy, I work 11 to 12 hours a day," David explained. "Even when I’m up skiing, I’m working, so on the ski lift I’m constantly taking off my gloves to return emails and calls."
David said he had no idea the ring had fallen off on that ski day years ago until the end of the day.
"I pulled off my gloves and said, 'Where’s my ring?'" David told 7NEWS.
David remembered he lost it at a ski resort, but after all these years he forgot where.
A set of odd circumstances brought it back.
A 7NEWS viewer saw our story about the search for the ring's owner.
We reported that Vail officials had tweeted that the ring had an inscription that said, "All my love, Sue."
7NEWS viewer Heather Brown said she saw the story on our 7NEWS app and sent it to her friend Greg Dorce saying, "You're the only person I know that is married to a Sue."
Greg responded, "My ring is a ten dollar ring purchased in Guatemala. Thanks for the thought!"
However, Greg remembered the text days later when his mortgage broker, David Brenner, mentioned his wife, Sue.
Greg asked David if he ever lost a wedding ring.
David's answer? "Yes, I did."
David called his wife to ask where it happened, she remembered it was Vail.
"It can't be a coincidence," David told 7NEWS.
David said he pulled up TheDenverChannel.com's story on his tablet and then called the writer.
"Unbelievable. That's my ring. It has the same ridges," David said. "What are the chances? Your story did a good thing!"
Vail's original tweet about the ring only mentioned the inscription with Sue's name. It turns out the ring had another inscription that David knew about.
"The date of my wedding is inscribed inside -- June 20, 1982," David said.
Vail confirmed it was David's ring. They admitted they had held back some of the information so they could identify the correct owner.
A few hours later, Vail tweeted the news that the owner of the ring had been found!
It took a few more weeks for David to find time to go to Vail, but he and Sue finally made it last weekend to pick up the ring and meet the man who found it.
"Oh my God, it's been a very long time," Sue said when she saw the ring again.
"It should've been a foot into the earth," David said after all these years.
"Somehow it came to the surface, I just caught a little glimpse of it," lift maintenance worker Ryan Portz told them. "I think I saw right away that it was a ring."
"We sure appreciate the effort," Sue said.
Sue and David replaced the ring years ago, so they went to their jeweler and he created a way for them to display the ring.
"It'll be a little conversation piece," Sue said.

"It'll be the most famous artwork in our house," David said.

First 'real life' Corrie wedding

Coronation Street has seen over 102 eventful weddings in its 53 years, but last night, Monday 8th September, saw the first legal marriage as the newlyweds said their I do’s inside the Rovers Return at Coronation Street The Tour.
Paul Johnston and Andy Daniel from, London became the first couple to marry at the former Coronation Street set after the attraction was granted a wedding licence in June. The ceremony was held inside the Rovers Return with the happy couple exchanging vows behind the bar whilst 32 guests shared the experience.
Paul Johnston, 33, a TV Journalist said: “I’m on such a high, everything about the ceremony and venue is so special. You could tell that all the guests had a good time which means such a lot to us.”
Andy Daniel, 37, an Events Director said: “I’m really happy that we have been able to give our families and friends such a truly memorable experience. We’ve also made soap history by having a wedding without a punch up!”
Following the ceremony the wedding party shared a champagne toast inside the Rovers Return before taking advantage of the truly unique venue to get some memorable wedding photos. Paul and Andy then stepped through the doors of Nick’s Bistro to take their first steps as a married couple onto the cobbles of the nation’s Street.

As a journalist, a Coronation Street wedding couldn’t be more perfect for Paul, he said: “I’ve written about soap weddings for years so I thought it would be fun to have one of my own, only slightly less eventful and without any births, deaths or long lost children showing up during the ceremony.”

Seattle mayor officiates same-sex wedding

Some Emerald City businesses rolled out the red carpet for a same-sex couple Wednesday night, part of an effort to make western Washington a destination for gays and lesbians across the country.
"It says a lot about our city as a place of tolerance," said Seattle Mayor Ed Murray.
Murray, who is openly gay, officiated the wedding of Zachary Baker and Samuel Busch at Canlis restaurant. The couple, who live in St. Paul, MN, were the first winners of The Marry Me in Seattle program.
"I was flipping through Out Magazine and there was just a little sidebar that said 'hey, come get married in Seattle,'" Baker said. "I said – I don't mind if I do! I put my name in."
The two won out of about 300 couples who applied.
"We knew this would be an attractive place to get married, to come visit," said Tom Norwalk, President of Visit Seattle, the city's nonprofit tourism marketing arm. "It's just so emblematic of how warm and welcoming Seattle is to same-sex marriages or relationships. For us it's really to show that off, but really to invite the world here."
It could also mean big business.
Norwalk said more than 10 percent of the traveling public are gay and lesbians travelers.
"It's one of the more sought-after demographics in the world for travel, somewhat recession-proof," he said. "It's been a market that most savvy hotel companies, restaurants, cruise lines, airlines have gone after for 15 to 20 years."
Businesses were more than willing to take part. Visit Seattle put together the wedding package through the help of locals businesses.
"Seattle has just opened us with opened arms," Samuel Busch said.
As another way to welcome the two, Seattle's Great Wheel and other very visible landmarks turned rainbow colors, a sign of gay pride.
"Just being here and being able to kind of be touristy but at the same time have the big day to look to – has just been the happiest week of our lives," Baker said. "If I was to go back to my hometown community and say 'hey, I'm getting married' there could be some awkwardness. Maybe we don't even tell them. Here, when you tell someone the mayor is marrying us on Wednesday – they're like – ah, that's great, and they don't miss a beat."

Three more wedding trips are available on the first Wednesday of each month until December. You can see more of Zac and Sam's story on social media by using #MarryMeInSeattle.

Gateway Clipper wedding ends with groom in handcuffs after fight with server's boyfriend

wedding ended with the groom in handcuffs early Monday morning after a server for the Gateway Clipper claimed he was being "handsey with her" and inappropriate throughout the night.
The 19-year-old server said she felt uncomfortable and tried to avoid the groom, identified as 33-year-old Mark Williams, who she said was trying to force her to take shots of liquor.
"The groom was so drunk. He came over and started rubbing my head and put his hand on my body, just touchy-feely," said the young woman, who did not want to be identified.
PHOTOS: Fight involving wedding party spills into Station Square
The server called her boyfriend to pick her up, and an argument between her boyfriend and Williams led to punches being thrown about 1 a.m. on West Station Square Drive, near the Gateway Clipper entrance, police said.
During the incident, a man identified as 31-year-old Brian Taylor punched out a car window and was covered in blood, police said. Taylor is a school board member in the Sto-Rox School District.
"I'm not clear if he was trying to break it up, or if he was trying to participate in the fight, but whatever happened, his hand went through a window of a parked car, which caused blood to go all over the place," Public Safety spokeswoman Sonya Toler said. "I do know there was a lot of blood at the scene. It was kind of confusing and loud."
When officers arrived, Taylor and Williams were bloody and walking away from the scene, police said. When officers questioned them, police said, they started screaming and put up a fight.
During the scuffle, Williams' brother, 35-year-old David Williams, wouldn't listen to police to stay back and struck an officer, police said.
David Williams is a Pennsylvania State Police trooper and was off-duty at the time of his arrest. State police are conducting an internal investigation.
While the bride watched, police handcuffed her new husband, his brother and Taylor. All three men were arrested and taken to the Allegheny County Jail.

"She was very understanding. She didn't at all argue with anybody," the server said. "She was probably shocked and in tears that this happened on her day."