THE first couple to get married at Settle’s Falcon Manor Hotel relived their wedding day when they returned for a 21st anniversary treat.

John and Joanne Brennand were the first to wed at the hotel and believe they were only the second couple in North Yorkshire to take advantage of the change in the law brought about by the Marriage Act 1994, which allowed marriages to be solemnised in certain 'approved premises'.

“We were married on Wednesday, August 23, 1995 and we had a fantastic day," said Joanne.

Falcon Manor was one of the pioneers for becoming approved for marriage ceremonies. The couple had always loved the hotel and married there as soon as they could.

So it was natural that John and Joanne returned to mark their 21st anniversary with a celebratory dinner and stay in the Rafters Suite – the hotel’s honeymoon accommodation.

The hotel's marketing manager Heidi Kettle said: “We were delighted to help John and Joanne celebrate their anniversary. "It’s always nice to see our brides and bridegrooms after their weddings and having the first couple back as guests was really special.”

At their 1995 wedding, John and Joanne, who live near Settle, welcomed 70 guests and were married in front of the French windows with the beautiful limestone hills of the Yorkshire Dales as their backdrop.

The hotel has undergone changes since the Brennands’ big day, almost shutting at one point until it was rescued in 2014 by hospitality group James’ Places, which transformed it with a complete refurbishment.

James’ Places brought its renowned interior design expertise to the building and today it is once again a luxurious country house hotel with more than 40 brides and bridegrooms a year saying 'I do' in its signature garden room.

“The Falcon Manor was a beautiful place to get married in 1995 and is even more stunning now it’s had such an amazing facelift,” said Joanne.

“Our memories of the day include drinking Bucks Fizz outside in the beautiful gardens with all our guests, and playing boules on the lawn. Getting married at the venue and not having to travel to our wedding breakfast was such a novelty at the time, and everyone just loved everything being under one roof.

"The garden was in full bloom and the views of the hills were just breathtaking – perfect for wedding photographs.”

Although a novelty in 1995, getting married in a hotel or other approved venue is now the most common form of wedding ceremony in England and Wales with around 149,000 couples tying the knot in these premises each year.

Civil ceremonies account for more than 70 per cent of all marriages, according to the Office for National Statistics’ latest available figures, and 86 per cent of these take place in approved premises such as Falcon Manor Hotel. The remainder happen in register offices.

Joanne added: “We have three daughters now and we’re hoping that at least one of them will choose to follow in our footsteps and get married at the Falcon.

“We thoroughly enjoyed celebrating our 21st anniversary and were treated like royalty throughout our stay. Staying in the Rafters Suite was the icing on the cake.”