A SMITTEN couple whose rescue dogs served as their dutiful bridesmaids have said ‘I do’ in a beautiful Lake District wedding.

Shannen Dabson, 26, from Essex, a higher education progression advisor, and Ben Whittle, 25, from Manchester, a criminal justice key worker tied the knot at the Cote How Lake District Weddings in Ambleside.

The pair, who now live in Crosby, first met as students when they were both studying at Edge Hill University. Mr Whittle was working as a lifeguard at the university pool alongside his degree, and Shannen was a keen swimmer, so they regularly saw each other at the sports centre.

Mrs Dabson said: “I liked that Ben was clearly very driven, as working alongside a degree isn’t the easiest to juggle, but he was motivated to do that alongside a busy social life."

Mr Whittle added: “When I first met Shan, I thought she was beautiful, and as I got to know her I discovered how beautiful she was inside as well as out.”

The smitten couple got engaged during a holiday to Greece in 2019.

“We were in Zante at the time, hoping to spot some of the famous loggerhead turtles,” Mrs Dabson said.

“We went for a sunset walk hoping to see some, and a few moments after we caught a glimpse of one Ben was on one knee. It was a complete surprise, although Ben was so nervous that I did suspect something was about to happen.”

The pair tied the knot at Cote How Lake District Weddings on Wednesday June 30 at 2pm. In front of 15 of their closest family and friend plus their four-legged friends who were their bridesmaids.

The couple said: “Our two dogs, Indie and Arlo are Romanian Rescue Dogs. We rehomed them last September after they were rescued from a kill shelter.

“They were very timid and nervous when they first arrived with us, and had not received any training.

“After months of hard-work they were impeccably behaved bridesmaids – and even managed to wear flower collars for the occasion.

“We were pleased we were able to have them present on our special day as they are so important to our lives together.”

The couple described the day as 'perfect from start to finish'.

They said: The venue took our breath away. It was our first time seeing it in person and it was so much more spectacular than we had imagined.

“We had our ceremony in the outside barn, and the sun shone throughout. A real highlight for us was sharing our own vows, during which we both expressed our love for each other and our pets. We were told that we were the smiley-est couple they had ever married – we could not stop smiling throughout.

“We headed over to Lucy’s on a Plate for a relaxed evening reception. Lucy went above and beyond to help us with our celebrations, decorating the conservatory with balloons and signs, creating personalised menus for our guests and even letting our furry friends come along with us.

“The day was made extra emotional by the fact that my best friend, Hafsa, had postponed her trip to South Korea so that she could make it to our celebrations.

“It’s safe to say there were a few tears, but we made so many wonderful memories during the wedding day and we were so grateful that she was able to be there.”

All photography in the article is by SJP Photography. To get in touch, visit: https://www.sjpphotographs.com