By COLIN FERNANDEZ

Last updated at 21:09 11 September 2007

There hasn�'t been a wedding like it for quite some time. About seven centuries, in fact.

The bride arrived riding side saddle on a white mare in a dress made from 270 feet of silk. And waiting for her was her knight in shining armour - £10,000 of hand-forged steel trimmed with brass and velvet.

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The scene was the wedding of Sian Jenkins and Rupert Hammerton - Fraser, who are so fascinated by the Middle Ages that they recreated a medieval ceremony down to the minutest detail - the bride even promised to be �bonny and buxom in bed�, a vow from a 14th century service.

The £30,000 event at Lulworth Castle in Dorset ended with a banquet where guests many in home-made costumes were served medieval delicacies. The following day there was jousting, sword-fighting and even a full-scale battle re-enactment.

Mr Hammerton-Fraser, 40, went out with his squire and ring bearer and fought challengers with swords, a practice common in the 14th century.

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His 26-year-old wife said: "�Our families were a bit surprised when we told them what we wanted but they got involved and even made their own costumes for the day.�"







Her husband, a lecturer in traditional print making, said the wedding took two years to plan and research and was around �99 per cent historically accurate�.

"My male friends and I drank beer and polished our armour before we went to the castle,"� he said. "�I arrived with a guard of three armoured men and my best

men, squire and chief usher.

"�My bride then rode up on a white horse and was escorted by her oldest male friend, maid of honour, three armoured knights and three bridesmaids.�"

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The couple, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and their guests drank and danced the night away before waking up to another day of historical events.

Mr Hammerton-Fraser said: �"We had a great time with jugglers and

falconry and we finished the day with a joust.�"

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The bride added: "�I have been doing historical improvisation

since I was 15 and have a passion for medieval history. Rupert shares my passion so a mediaeval wedding was the obvious choice.�

The couple did make one concession to the 21st century - they were married officially at Bournemouth Register Office in contemporary clothing the day before.