HORSES and carriages, classic cars and limousines are traditionally the most popular forms of transport chosen by couples for their wedding day.
But one happy couple from Terrington St Clement took a more unusual approach when they left for their wedding reception in a £215,000 tractor.
Like all couples, Matthew Thorpe and Samantha Reed spent hours searching for the perfect vehicle to take them from their service at Long Sutton Registry Office to Terrington St Clement Village Hall.
“We looked at all the old-fashioned cars but we thought, ‘Everyone has those.’ We wanted something a bit different,” the new Mrs Thorpe explained.
“With his job and because Matthew has spent all his life working on a farm, we thought it would be nice to leave the wedding in a tractor.”
As if that did not already mark them out as different, the couple, who met three years ago on an internet dating website and live together in Moat Road, Terrington St Clement, decided against traditional fine dining at their wedding reception.
Instead they chose something a little more straightforward – fish and chips from Andymacs, in Chapel Road, Terrington St Clement.
Mr Thorpe, 28, said: “Everyone likes fish and chips. We got a good deal with the local chippy, so we thought, ‘Why not?’”
Mrs Thorpe, 25, added: “Matthew likes fish and chips. You can spend all your money on fancy food but why not have something everyone likes? “You can’t go wrong with fish and chips and it’s very English.”
Mr Thorpe, who works for Delamore Farms, contacted the Doubleday Group, which is the main dealer for John Deere tractors in Lincolnshire and Norfolk, to ask whether he could borrow a tractor for his big day.
To his surprise, they agreed to loan him the 12,346kg vehicle, which Mr Thorpe also drove to the wedding service, for free.
“It’s been a fantastic day,” said Mrs Thorpe. “There was a bit of snow on the way over here but the weather has been fine for us.
“We’d like to thank all our friends and family for coming, and also Doubleday and Delamore Farms for helping us with the tractor.”
After the reception, which was attended by about 120 people, the couple went off to honeymoon in York for a few days – although they had to leave the tractor at home.
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