What they did not bargain for was an entire pubful of new mates helping them celebrate their big day in grand style.

For the couple have just become landlord and landlady of the Prince of Wales in Havant.

And after they tied the knot at Portsmouth Register Office they decided to hold their reception in the lounge bar of the West Street pub and invited all the regulars to join them.

Dave, 47, had been temporarily managing the Harvest Home in Copnor Road, Copnor, Portsmouth, when the chance to take on the Prince cropped up.

For new wife Maggi, 49, it is her first time in charge of a hostelry. And she's learning the hard way.

'Honeymoon? What honeymoon?,' she said. 'We've got a pub to run now and I'm loving every minute of it.'

The Prince had been closed down for three months before the Dews took it on, much to the delight of regulars who feared the traditional community local close to Bedhampton's level crossing might disappear for good.

Maggi added: 'We're alive and kicking. We've only been open for a couple of weeks, and what with the wedding it's been a really hectic time.

'But we've got such a fantastic bunch of regulars that I thought it would be lovely to invite them to help Dave and me celebrate our wedding.'

She said: 'They were a bit reluctant to come through to the lounge bar from the public bar to join our family and friends, but I had two huge tables of food to get through and it seemed the perfect way to get to know everyone a bit better.

'We had a brilliant time. It was certainly a day we'll never forget.'

chris.owen@thenews.co.uk