Couple wed at Vatican

It may have taken 15 months of meticulous planning but bride Samantha Wheeler had the wedding she had always dreamed of – at the Vatican in Rome.

And the real icing on the cake for the Walsall couple came when her marriage to car salesman Tim Palmer was later blessed by Pope Benedict XVI.

Samantha, a sales representative for laminate flooring specialist Abet Limited, and Tim, who have now set up home on the Yew Tree estate, flew to Rome with 100 guests.

Samantha, aged 34, originally from Wolverhampton, and Tim, 45, from the Mossley Estate held their wedding at The Choirs Chapel at Basilica of St Peter's.

The couple's priest, Father Patrick Daley, of St Peter and St Paul Roman Catholic Church in Wolverhampton, had written to the Pope for special permission to allow the marriage to take place at the Vatican.

Father Daley was then invited to perform the wedding ceremony.

The couple and all of their guests had to pass strict security checks.

Mr Palmer, who works for Evans Halhaw said: "Samantha always had a dream to marry at the Vatican."

Samantha's gold dress, which was made from duchess silk cost around £1,500.

Following the wedding the couple travelled to Sorrento for four days before returning back to the Vatican to have their union blessed by the Pope along with other married couples.

"To meet the Pope was just unbelievable,"Mr Palmer added. "I was totally stunned. He shook both of our hands and then he blessed Samantha. It was an incredible moment."