Couple Celebrate Wedding in Underwater Tunnel of Love!

A fish-mad couple from Whitley Bay have chosen Tynemouth's Blue Reef Aquarium as the perfect venue to celebrate their wedding.

Donna Porter and Andrew Howstan are fascinated by the marine world and are both regular visitors to the North Tyneside aquarium.

They approached staff and asked whether it would be possible to hold part of their wedding day celebrations at the attraction surrounded by exotic tropical marine life from around the world.

Although the actual marriage took place at the registry office in North Shields, the couple rushed back to the aquarium for the traditional first dance and cutting of the cake.

Even the newlyweds wedding photographs were taken in the aquarium's giant underwater tunnel with family, guests and curious tropical sharks looking on.

Blue Reef's Anna Etchells said: "We were delighted, if a little surprised, when Donna and Andrew approached us to see whether they could use the aquarium as a venue for their wedding day celebrations."

As well as welcoming more than 100 guests the couple also arranged for a live band to play inside the aquarium and bride Donna said she was overwhelmed by the experience.

"The whole event went perfectly. I know it wouldn't be everybody's first choice for their wedding day but we both share a love of the sea and thought the aquarium was the ideal place for us to celebrate getting married," said Donna.

"It certainly caused quite a stir among family and guests but I think everyone had a great time and, hopefully, will remember our special day for a long time to come," she added.

It's not the first time Blue Reef's credentials as a romantic venue have been recognised.

Earlier in the year the aquarium was used as the venue for a wedding reception and in 2005 keen diver Rawdy Vinnicombe proposed to his girlfriend Rebecca Ellis from inside the tropical ocean tank.

The couple plan to spend their honeymoon in Spain.