So, here comes the bride...and the baby!
A MOTHER was handed the best wedding gift she could have imagined...a newborn baby.
Laura Louis gave birth on her special day after being rushed to hospital in her bridal gown.
The 36-year-old, from Southend, went into labour at her reception – just after tying the knot to husband Lou, 62.
The couple, who run an Irish folk band, were performing for their guests two weeks ago on St Patrick’s Day when Laura started having contractions.
Laura said: “I felt fine on the day so even though I was heavily pregnant, I wasn’t worried about going into labour.
“But I got on stage and was drumming away when all of a sudden I started feeling these twinges.
“I was hoping it was going to be nothing but then I went from happy to ‘ouch’ in moments.”
There was no panic though... 18 of the guests were midwives, including Laura’s mother.
Rushed
The bride was rushed to nearby Southend Hospital, where she turned heads in the maternity ward by arriving in her wedding dress.
She said: “There were a lot of maternity staff at the reception as I’d invited a lot of mum’s friends. I was a bit worried there wouldn’t be any at the maternity ward as they were all at my wedding.”
She added: “When we got to the hospital a midwife by the door did a bit of a double-take when I walked in wearing my wedding dress. I suppose if you are going to do it, you may as well do it in style.”
She was taken into a delivery suite to give birth to baby Nicholas who weighed 6lb 10oz.
He is the first baby the couple have had together but Laura also has seven other children – Sophie, 19, Daniel, 17, Megan, 14, Jessica, 11, Lily, 11, Alex, nine, and four-year-old Dottie.
Laura and Lou, who also run a party shop, got together four years ago when she joined his Irish folk band The Blarneys.
He said: “We weren’t planning on having any other children because of our age gap but we’re over the moon.”