A WEDDING reception with sharks for guests followed the traditional church service of Plymouth couple Rebecca Lawson and Mark Ricketts.

They chose the National Marine Aquarium as the venue for their reception where 30 guests joined them for a meal eaten near the shark tank.

Bridegroom Mark said: "It was awesome. Everything was so perfect. The aquarium was absolutely perfect; everyone was blown away. We had canapes on arrival and everyone was given a tour."

Mark and Rebecca had been friends for years and lost contact when Rebecca was in the Navy. They met again on the Hoe while watching a firework display with friends. Mark proposed after a meal and a stroll around the Hoe three years later and they became husband and wife at St Andrew's Church on Wednesday, August 19 – five years to the day after they met up again.

Bride Rebecca, daughter of Andrew and Lynette of Plymouth, was given away by her dad and was attended by four bridesmaids; her sister Charlotte, Leanne, Heather and Victoria. Pageboy was her friend's little boy, toddler Callum.

Mark's best mate of around eight years, Daniel Powell, was best man and the couple took a two-week honeymoon to Mexico. They had a great time despite Mark spending three days in hospital with a knee infection.