CLAIRE Richardson and Phil Nicholls wanted as many friends and family as possible to feel included in their wedding ceremony so the bride was accompanied down the aisle by 12 bridesmaids, five pageboys and 10 Cub Scouts.

CLAIRE Richardson and Phil Nicholls wanted as many friends and family as possible to feel included in their wedding ceremony so the bride was accompanied down the aisle by 12 bridesmaids, five pageboys and 10 Cub Scouts.

Her attendants included representatives of March Marlins Swimming Club, Fenland Music Centre and cubs from the 2nd March Saxons. Claire’s son, James, 12, played the flute as they all walked down the aisle of Trinity Church, March.

The couple of Wisbech Road, March, met as cub leaders and Claire, 32, is vice chairman of the Fenland Music Centre’s parents committee. Until recently she was a swimming teacher for March Marlins. During the service some of the cubs took turns to read a bible passage.

She said: “All the attendants sat around the alter during the ceremony and I don’t think the minister, the Rev Manny Pillay, had ever had a wedding like it. We wanted the cubs to be part of the wedding because it is such an important part of our lives. It was so informal and some of the younger ones kept coming up and talking to me.

“It was such good fun on the day because all the hard work had been done and we just enjoyed it. It was lovely to have so many people there to enjoy it with us.”

The wedding was on Phil’s 40th birthday and in another break with tradition he changed his name to become Mr Richardson. He said: “By changing my name it will make it easier for James and it was just a common sense approach.”

Phil, a policeman stationed at March said: “Some of the things were my ideas and because I have been involved in scouting since 1992 as an adult I wanted it to be part of our special day. “

The couple got engaged on Christmas Day and set the date for their wedding on New Year’s Day. When they made their big announcement Claire, who works in a children’s centre in Wisbech, asked around family and friends to see who really wanted to be bridesmaids and pageboys.

She said: “I never got to be a bridesmaid until I was 18 so I was determined that all the little girls we knew would be given the chance. They all did really well and any time I found myself getting tearful during the ceremony I just looked at them and thought how well they were behaving and how nice it was to have them there.”

The ceremony was followed by a reception at March Conservative Club.