A WIRRAL couple tied the knot and raised more than £1,000 for a charity helping children in developing countries. 

Instead of a traditional black and white wedding, John and Kim Grieves from New Brighton, asked all guests to arrive in fancy dress for the big day at Birkenhead Registry Office.

They also donated half of their wedding gifts, £1,200, to Smile Train –the global children's charity which provides free surgery and care for children suffering with cleft lip and palate in developing countries.

John, 54, said: "When we decided to get married, we wanted to make it a great bash - so we opted for a fancy dress wedding.

"As we are both social 'Jivers', we decided to make the theme 'Dance scenes through the ages' and went as Fred and Ginger."

The chemical engineer continued: "Everybody really got into the spirit – all turning up in fancy dress.

"We had people from all around the world who came – Australia, Dubai, Italy, Sweden as well as all parts of the UK.

"It truly was the wedding of a lifetime!"

Wirral Globe:

Guests dress up for John and Kim's big day

"Many of our 200-plus guests already knew of Smile Train, and some were already donors, so it made sense to donate to the charity.

"Kim has been a district nurse for almost 40 years, so has seen many examples of how charities like Smile Train can make a remarkable difference to someone’s life."