HISTORY will be made at a Stanbury church this weekend when it hosts its first ever wedding.

St Gabriel’s Church, in Main Street, will stage the wedding of a Haworth couple this Saturday (August 30) following a successful application for a wedding licence for the 166-year-old building.

The church, which was initially built as a Sunday School, opened in September 1848 and has been serving the village ever since.

West Lane couple Simon Rushworth, who is an electrical engineer, and Julie Laycock, a support worker at Airedale Hospital's neonatal unit, have chosen to make their wedding vows at St Gabriel's.

Miss Laycock said: "It's a lovely church and it feels perfect for our special day. Although it's small it has lovely grounds, so everyone will be able to join in.

"Simon has an affinity with Stanbury. The Rushworth family has been part of the village community for many generations, and we always feel welcome there."

Reverend Peter Wilson, who is Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury's honorary assistant priest, will be conducting their wedding ceremony.

He said: “It’s a joyful occasion for the church and Stanbury to have its first wedding at St Gabriel’s.

“Now that St Gabriel’s is licensed for weddings it'll be something more that it can offer to the people of the upper Worth Valley who would like to get married in their own village.

“I’m looking forward to the ceremony and hope that it will be the start of a long and happy marriage for Simon and Julie.”

He said the application for the wedding licence was submitted by Haworth Parochial Church Council.

Rev Wilson added: "We did this because about 12 months ago people in Stanbury expressed a desire to be able to have marriages in their own, local place of worship.

"We needed to get permission from the bishop and the civil registry, which took about three months.

"I don't think that many weddings will be held at this church, but we now have the first one coming up I'm really looking forward to it."

He said the building has historically been used as a place of worship, but had no wedding licence until recently because major ceremonies have been held at the parish church in Haworth Main Street.

He added that he could see why St Gabriel's would appeal to couples wanting their wedding in a more intimate setting.

"I was doing some research on the church the other day, and I saw that it was originally built to hold 80 people," he said. "Though if you fit 80 in there I think it might be 'breathing by numbers!'"