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Morning all! Just one week to go till Christmas proper! This weekend I’m hitting the road and heading further North to slip into a bridesmaid’s gown and do the duty for my best friend Rachel. I can’t wait for a good old Christmas knees up, North East style. Oh, and the wedding bit, of course…
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Christmas is a popular time of year in this industry and no where more so than on the box. Today our resident Friday morning guest blogger, Alison Staples, recaps her favourite soap celebrations of all time. Recognise these corkers?
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Alison writes: “Anyone can fall in love” sang Anita Dobson to the Eastenders theme tune.
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“That’s the easy part you must keep it going.”
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Too right Anita.
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There are many twists and turns when it comes to soap opera weddings, with the bride and groom often making it down the aisle just in time for Christmas Day. A good cliff hanger of a wedding is always a ratings winner.
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“Let’s get married at Christmas – it’ll be all cosy with log fires and candles, holly and ivy and hot wine. We can have our reception in The Vic.”
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I know that for many, the idea of a Christmas wedding is just too romantic to miss. However, I’m a girl who feels the cold. I’d need a vest! Anyway, in tribute to the soaps and a good old Christmas wedding, here are my top five. See how many you remember.
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5. Hollyoaks Christmas 2008 – Warren Fox & Louise Summers
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Warren and Louise get engaged – despite the fact that he murdered her first husband and buried him in a forest. Louise doesn’t know this. However, she does know that Warren has been having an affair with Mandy (who hasn’t). When it comes to the day of the wedding, Louise plans to kill Warren, frame Mandy and run off with all his money. However Warren rumbles her when he finds a gun hidden under the pillow in their hotel room – I ask you – what a dozy place to hide it. He then uses said pillow to smother her, which is a good job because she’s wearing probably the worst wedding dress I’ve ever seen… in a very Shining-esque corridor!
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Picture source: Daily Mail
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4. Emmerdale Christmas 2000 – Ashley Thomas & Bernice Blackstock
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Ashley, Emmerdale’s local vicar has the hots for Bernice, the landlady at The Woolpack – despite the fact that she is engaged to Gavin. When she finds Gavin in bed with Jason, Bernice goes to Ashley for comfort. Ashley tells her how he feels but she rejects him (the cow!) Nevertheless their feelings grow and after getting permission from the Bishop, they marry in a fairy tale ceremony on Christmas Day 2000, with Bernice in a wedding dress big enough to hide a giant toilet roll underneath.
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3. Neighbours Christmas 1993 – Beth Brennan & Brad Willis
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These two have got to be, by far and away the best looking couple in Soap Land. Double barrelled Beth – simply known as ‘Beth From-Neighbours, played by a very young Natalie Imbruglia, is a construction worker. Beautiful and able to build a barbie, Beth From-Neighbours is every young man’s dream. Forced to spend a night together in a caravan Beth and Brad finally do-the-do, fall in love and get engaged. Their first attempt to wed falls foul when Beth uncovers a lurid affair between Brad and her best friend Lauren. But it’s second time lucky as they finally tie the knot – probably in Lasseters.
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2. Coronation Street Christmas 2004 – Ashley Sibelius Peacock & Claire Casey
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Ashley, along with Uncle ‘Ah say – ah say’ Fred Elliot run the local butchers shop. Ashley hits the ‘ching ching jackpot’ when he marries foxy hairdresser Maxime, only to have happiness cruelly ripped away when she is murdered by evil Richard Hillman. Who will look after baby Joshua? Enter supernanny Claire who is just so damn good, how can Ashley resist dropping down on one knee and proposing in the Rovers? Personally I’d have said “no – take me somewhere nicer” but Claire isn’t put off and marries him under an archway of butchers and meat cleavers – which is ironic really considering how his first wife met her end.
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Picture source: corrieblog.tv
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1. Eastenders Christmas 2003 – Kat Slater & Alfie Moon.
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It had to be really didn’t it!
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Barmaid Kat and charmer Alfie are meant to be together. But it isn’t as easy as that. Before they could say “I do” Alfie has to burst in and stop Kat’s wedding to local gangster Andy Hunter and then try and get a quickie divorce from his first wife. She digs her heals in while Alfie tells Kat that it’s all “sorted”. Alfie then decides to cancel the minister and get his friend Ray (played by David Walliams) to pretend to marry them – Kat will be none the wiser. But Alfie can’t live a lie and fesses up to Kat who promptly cancels the wedding…
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DUM DUM DUM DUM DUM… just as Alfie’s solicitor bursts in with the decree absolute. He then sweet talks the vicar into leaving his Christmas lunch to marry them, there and then in The Vic.
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Picture source: BBC
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So there you have it, my top five Christmas Soap Opera weddings. I gather this year we are to be treated by Corrie to our first civil partnership – by all accounts, things are not destined to run smoothly!
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Picture source: ITV
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What will be on your box a week on Sunday? What would be your Christmas No1?
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For this wedding blogger, the Downton Abbey Christmas special is right in at the top of my chart. I can’t help it. I love it.
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Alison writes her own personal blog at http://alison-staples.blogspot.com.
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Alison’s latest posts for Brides Up North:
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Up For Discussion- Money Can’t Buy You Love – Bringing It In On Budget
Up For Discussion- Don’t Tell The Groom! Man Management
Up For Discussion- How To Do “I Do”- Writing Your Own Vows
Up For Discussion- Empty Chairs
Up For Discussion- Achieving The Perfect Level Of Wedding Morning Zen
Up For Discussion- The Name Game (and meet Alison!)
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Would you like to guest blog for Brides Up North? Email julia@bridesupnorth.co.uk
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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2011 as credited
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