Wolves-themed wedding a hit with footy-mad groom
Harriet Pearse-Dudley may have agreed to marry the man who saved her from fainting into a bush full of nettles on their first date.
But she never thought such a romantic introduction would lead to a wedding full of guests shouting ‘hi ho Wolverhampton’.
Mrs Pearse-Dudley, aged 48, married Damien Pearse, 49, at a family-owned chateau in Craon, France, on August 3 in a Wolverhampton Wanderers-themed ceremony which was in stark contrast to the wedding’s romantic venue.
She surprised her new husband with a wedding full of tributes to his beloved football team after he converted the Fulham native into a Wolves fan.
The best man, who was the brains behind the idea and convinced Mrs Pearse-Dudley to agree, wore a waistcoat in old gold, along with the ushers, while the bride changed into an orange-red dress for the reception.
The big day also featured orange and white flowers, to represent the Wolves away strip, and the couple, who have been together for seven years, kicked off the celebrations to Hi Ho Silver Lining, the Wolves fans’ anthem theme song, while wedding guests shouted ‘hi ho Wolverhampton’ at the appropriate moments.
Mr Pearse, who was told there would be a surprise at the wedding but not told what, said: “I was really overjoyed, it was the icing on the cake really. I was really bowled over and felt so emotional that they’d gone to so much effort to do that for me. I didn’t shed a tear, but almost.
“They [the ushers] couldn’t quite persuade Harriet to wear an orange wedding dress, much to their disappointment.”
Mr Pearse, who had been growing a beard for the wedding, introduced his bride to the Premier League team after meeting her at a café in Brighton.
While he says he is still the bigger Wolves fan, he admits his new wife’s admiration for the team’s handsome Portuguese players has made converting her a little easier.
Mrs Pearse-Dudley, who had orange flowers in her bouquet, said: “It was just, without question, the best day of my life.
Damien’s love of Wolverhampton Wanderers is such a big part of our relationship that it needed to be part of the wedding. I knew it would make him happy and I trusted that the best man knew what he was doing.
“I was really glad when Damien grew a beard like Nuno [Wolverhampton Wanderers manager] because I’ve got a bit of a crush on Nuno.”
Mr Pearse, who also wore an orange flower in his suit pocket, added: “I want to say a really big thank you to everybody who made that surprise. It was honestly the most beautiful wedding ever and my wife is so beautiful too. I’m just so happy she did it for me.”
The newly-weds, who live in Brighton, are currently on honeymoon in Dordogne, France, where Mrs Pearse-Dudley has been wearing her orange converse trainers everyday.
They say they will be home in time for Wolves’ next match on Sunday.
