This is the moment a couple dived into married life in an underwater ceremony after meeting on dating website Plenty Of Fish.
Lauren and Gary Dongray’s tied the knot inside a tank at an aquarium in a ceremony planned over three weeks.
They were joined by stingrays, sharks and tropical fish as they said ‘I do’.
Gary, 30, was left in charge of all the decisions and given a budget of £14k as part of TV show Don’t Tell The Bride, which aired yesterday (Weds).
Lauren’s six bridesmaids were dressed as mermaids and the couple’s golden labrador, Gizmo, was flower girl at a second stage of the ceremony on land.
Lauren, a clinical physiologist, said: “I totally trusted Gary but I was amazed when we pulled up at the venue and it was an aquarium.
“The crew put an oxygen helmet on me and we went underwater to perform the ceremony.
“Luckily the helmet protected my hair and makeup and I had a second wedding dress for after I’d exited the water.”
Best man Tony Dore, 31, and Lauren’s dad, Stephen, 59, were also underwater anmd had a change of suit.
Gary, the owner of a bodywork repair shop, revealed that planning the wedding in just three weeks was an extremely stressful experience.
He said: “I don’t think I’ve ever worked that hard. I was exhausted and I was terrified that Lauren wouldn’t like it. But it turned out to be the best day of our lives.”
The couple, from Harlow, Essex, tied the knot at Sea Life aquarium in Manchester last June.
And they even had to squeeze in their hen and stag parties into the three weeks.
Lauren added: “We had two days off and just got very merry.
“I went glamping with 22 friends, a stripper and a lot of alcohol in Suffolk. Gary went to Newcastle with his mates overnight and went go karting.”
The couple, who were together for two and a half years before getting wed, decided to apply to be on the show on a whim.
Lauren said: “We were only engaged for a month and we saw it advertised on Facebook.
“We applied as a joke. But after four months of auditions, they told us they wanted us.
“We got married within six weeks of getting through.
“The £14,000 budget the show gives you is the biggest bonus. And of course, it was stress-free for me – I didn’t have to make any decisions.”
She admitted that she was nervous to see their wedding on the small screen for the first time.
She said: “I am looking forward to watching it but I’m also dreading it.
“I am worried about how they are going to cut it and how I’ll be portrayed.
“But I suppose you have to take it with a pinch of salt.”
