Don't Tell The Bride

BBC3, September 30th 2008

Bishop Auckland will feature on prime time TV next Tuesday(September 30th) when Auckland Castle serves as the dream wedding venue for Newcastle couple Shelly and Stephen, in BBC3’s ‘Don’t Tell the Bride’.

The groom Stephen surreptitiously chose the venue when he was charged with organising the entire wedding from scratch in a matter of weeks, which is the challenge faced by the unwitting grooms in each programme.

The husband-to-be must plan every detail, from the dress to the invitations, to the food, drink and flowers, and they must keep within a strictly allocated budget.

Despite organised chaos behind the scenes and the inevitable last minute panics, Shelly and Stephen’s big day all ran smoothly and everyone present had a wonderful time.

Auckland Castle itself proved to be the ideal venue, with ample space for the several horses who attended (on account of the bride’s equestrian interests). The castle also provided the perfect backdrop for the medieval theme, including fire-eaters and flame throwers.

The groom, Stephen said of the experience, "From first seeing Auckland Castle I knew it was where I wanted to be married.

I had a vision for the wedding of grandeur, a fairy tale castle wedding; something I hoped Shelley would love; Auckland Castle ticked every box and was the perfect setting for our special day".

Showing at 9pm on BBC3 Tues 30th September 2008

To view images of Shelly and Stephen’s fairly-tale wedding at Auckland Castle, see the Events Photo Gallery in News and Events. Photographs by Richard Lee photography