Like most brides Karen Bell needed something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue for her big day.
But the creative City fan ticked nearly all the boxes in one – when she turned up in a dress made up of old Blues shirts.
All that was left was for hubby and fellow fanatic Simon, 49, to do was hand over the sparkling new ring.
And while most couples head somewhere exotic after the ceremony the pair rushed to the Etihad stadium to watch their heroes in action.
Karen, 38, from Bury, said they only decided to get married four weeks before tying the knot.
She said: "It was the day of a match so Simon said I would have to turn up in a City shirt. That set me off thinking and I decided to do this.
"We wanted to do something different because we have both been married before." Karen spent three weeks at a sewing machine armed with a collection of Simon’s Blues shirts from the 80s and onwards.
"It was a labour of love," she said. "I was at the sewing machine six nights a week."
The pair wed in Chester before heading to Manchester for the match against Stoke, which City won 3-0.
Karen said: "Everyone was stopping us to take pictures on the way in. We thought about going corporate but we have had season cards for years and we know everyone around us so we just went in our normal seats.
"It was brilliant – everyone kept buying us drinks."
Karen said the dress received favourable reviews when the pair retired to the Radisson Edwardian hotel for the evening.
She explained: "We were in the bar there and someone came over and asked me if it had been designed by Vivienne Westwood."
After the match the couple had a honeymoon in Edinburgh.
Simon, who is from Stockport, said: "I was amazed when I saw her. The shirts were in a suitcase in the loft and I sacrificed them as a demonstration of my commitment.
"We didn’t tell any of our friends and when we met them before the match in the Summerbee bar they couldn’t believe it.
"I should have charged for pictures," he said.
Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
There will be people having a dig. But fair play to them.
It looks very good and being asked was it a Vivienne Westwood was a compliment to her skills as a seamstress maybe there is a opening in the wedding dress market she could exploit. Anyway congrats and may the acorns you sow turn out to be great big blue oaks have a happy long marriage.
another two not from manchester
Wow this is getting a bit boring now M.E.N if it's not a dog that rests it's paws on a seat supposedly doing the poznan, or some other pet it's this. It seems like this paper will print anything to do with City no matter how pathetic it is, how about reporting on some real news?
I'm not a fan of any football team but I think Karen's dress looks great. Good for her in doing something different rather than appearing in the usual horrifically priced white meringue!
GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY..........
What a classy lady she is
With a name like 'Bell' she just can't go wrong!
Bury and Stockport! A perfect match for that (Birmingham) Bertie with the tattoo proclaiming city as the 2011 European champions.
Chavtastic..........
She's living proof that money can't buy you class....are you listening Man Citeh!
this is utterly hilarious, glad to see that the blue sense of humour is not waning
What an absolute disgrace!
She looks horrendous! The dress is awful!
I'm sure she will regret wearing that in years to come!
She will eb saying to her grandkids that at the time I was married we were top of the league but we fionished 2nd that season and United got their 20th League title.
SCALLYS
Some United fans' comments just show them up for what they are. Imagine being so petty as to make snide comments about someone's wedding; be it City/United or whoever or whatever themed. Pathetic. By the way I keep seeing these 'another not from Manchester' comments. People living in the Greater Manchester region are very likely to work or originally come from the actual environs of Manchester itself. What you don't get is that our comments on the M1/incoming at Ringway brigade is to point out that they are glory hunters with no connections to the North West, let alone Manchester. For your own sake's Rags just stop embarrassing yourselves. Nothing to say? Say nothing.
This has Gypsie wedding written all over it.
(and yes I would say the same if it was a MUFC themed dress)
Well, she'll be the only Man Citeh bride this season as the football team will be lucky to be bridesmaids to the real champions!
LUHC
wow karen you look stunning...... Best Wishes to you both.
from Bury. all citeh fans come from outside the boundaries of Manchester. FACT
And guess what? He's from Stockport
The dress and Karen both look fantastic, superb idea.
A class act! Congrats on your wedding. May you live a Happy BLUE Life.
The "Is that a Vivienne Westwood?" comment might not have been intended as a compliment...
A bit of fun...chill out...its a dress thats all
Nice dress, like the old badge on the front too :)
Deary me cant some people be rude, you look lovely and how innovative take no notice of the trolls, and a happy new year to ONE and ALL.