One whole year has passed since Rebecca Adlington and her husband Andy Parsons celebrated their wedding with the Olympian's daughter Summer, now seven, and their little boy Albie, now one.
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The swimming champion, 33, and the facilities manager exchanged vows on 28 August 2021 at Cheshire's Scarlet Hall, a 12-acre private estate complete with a country home, an indoor pool, a rustic barn and expansive grounds. So why did the idyllic wedding day leave Andy extra emotional?
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On their first anniversary, we look back at their big day, which the couple shared exclusively with HELLO!...
"The sun shone, the people we love were there and it was just the best day," Rebecca said of the wedding.
The bride was walked down the aisle on the arm of her father Steve and accompanied by her daughter Summer – from her first marriage to fellow former competitive swimmer Harry Needs – who was both flower girl and ring-bearer. And the couple told the magazine how a piece of music played when the bride entered the ceremony – Tom Odell's Grow Old With Me – brought Andy to tears.
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© Photo: HELLO!The couple planned their big day in four months
"We chose all the other music together, but I wanted one little thing that was a surprise for him. He kept trying to get it out of me, but I wouldn't break," explained Becky, whose bridal party also comprised of her best friends, fellow swimmers Joanne (Jo) Jackson and Tom Haffield, who carried Albie down the aisle.
Rebecca's children Summer and Albie had big roles on her wedding day
"The second it kicked in, I thought, 'Oh, you've really pushed me to the limit with this' and I felt my composure start to go," said Andy, who had two best men – cousin Louis Bollard and best friend from school Mark Wright.
"Then I saw Summer coming down the aisle with Jo and then Albie being carried by Tom and that really got me. So when Becky started walking toward me with her dad, I just lost it. She had the most beautiful smile on her face. She looked incredible."
Andy got emotional when he spotted the Olympic swimmer walking down the aisle
After exchanging their own vows, the couple partied the night away at a reception for 80 guests, who included Team GB swimming coach Bill Furniss, former competitive swimmers Steve Parry, Caitlin McClatchley and Fran Halsall, and Fran's husband, former England rugby league player Jon Wilkin.
"The atmosphere was incredible. It was like a festival," Rebecca said.
Rebecca and Andy got married on 28 August 2021
The couple, who met via the dating app Bumble, also told HELLO! they only had four months to plan their big day after finding their venue unexpectedly while looking for summer holidays. And it meant finding a dress was a stressful process before Becky settled on a bespoke design by Turkish designer Zeynep Kartal.
"Zeynep had made dresses for me before, so she knew what I liked and what works for me," she said. "We had a little chat and in five seconds flat she’d sketched a dress that I knew was absolutely perfect."
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