Wedding dresses and sculptures form part of flower festival at Great St Mary's Church in Sawbridgeworth

They will be singing Here Comes the Bride several times over at a Sawbridgeworth church this weekend as its annual flower festival is given a novel twist.

Besides the beautiful blooms there will be a display of wedding dresses inside Great St Mary's Church and a natural sculpture event for all the family in the churchyard.

The display will be made up of dresses donated by members of the community, and the aim is to have bridal gowns from every decade stretching back over the past 100 years.

The sculpture event will feature items made from natural materials such as stone and wood.

On Saturday evening (July 2) there will be a concert by classical guitarist Mark Jennings from 6pm. Tickets priced £10 (under-16s free) are available in advance from the parish office on 01279 726629 or on the door on the night.

Mark has enjoyed a variety of successful musical collaborations with other musicians. In the early 1990s he was a member of the Baroque Players, which he co-founded with his peers at a conservatoire. More recently he has performed as a guitar duo with Peter Rueffer, founder of The Pro Arte Trio and music director of the Dillington International Classical Guitar Festival.

It is the first big event that Great St Mary's has held since the Covid-19 pandemic and the vicar, Father Simon Vivian, stressed the importance of such festivities.

"It reminds us that we've all got a part to play in the life of our community," he said. "It's great that we can celebrate something like this in the heart of summer."

* The Great St Mary's Flower Festival and Sculpture Event will take place from 10am until 4pm on Saturday (July 2) and midday until 4pm on Sunday (July 3).