THE bride wore white and wept for joy -- watched over by 13 pretty maids all in a row.

And it took 11 top-hatted ushers and two best men to get the bridegroom to the church on time for Whalley's wedding of the year.

"We just didn't want to leave anybody out," said bride Tammy Edwardson, 21, as the sun shone on the massive gathering.

"The bridesmaids all look absolutely gorgeous," bridegroom John Knight, 31, agreed. "They're just brilliant."

Tammy's proud mum Betty, of Limefield Avenue, Whalley, who has four other grown-up offspring, explained: "We're such a big family the two of them decided to include all the nephews and nieces."

A dozen of the lucky 13 bridesmaids emerged in stunning lilac and pink from a 33ft stretch limo organised by Andrew Whalley, of Brownhills in Blackburn.

"I'm a veteran of hundreds of weddings but this is the definitely the best I've seen," said Andrew, who also had the weighty responsibility of taking the official photographs.

He added: "I've never carried so many bridesmaids before. The maximum is usually half a dozen."

One bridesmaid arrived in less stately style than the limo. Fourteen-month-old Madison Foley was pushed unceremoniously into the grounds of historic St Mary's and All Saints Church in the shadow of Whalley Abbey in a standard baby's pushchair -- but managed not to nap through the nuptials.

Three of Tammy's nephews, Jake Edwardson, aged four, and Jack and Adam Foley, aged four and five, bravely battled through the proceedings as their towering top hats threatened to submerge them.

But usher Gary McLaughlin, 12, took a more grown-up view of proceedings, even though he had a few wayward thoughts towards other important Saturday afternoon events. "I'm glad there are 11 of us," the Ribblesdale High School pupil said. "It makes us like a football team."

The happy couple, who work for Intersoft Communications, Blackburn, will live in Waterloo Road, Clitheroe, when they return from their honeymoon in the Maldives.

And as they jetted off to the sun they left the bride's mum Betty and the other doting parents with a massive headache.

"The dresses alone were £4,000, " she laughed.

"It's all cost a fortune -- but it's been worth it."