Wedding Dress Festival in Dromore Cathedral: Come and see dresses belonging to Arlene Foster and Emma Little-Pengelly

A wedding dress festival in Co Down is putting the nuptial garbs of Arlene Foster and Emma Little Pengelly on display.

Organised by Dromore woman Jane Russell, the ‘Wedding Dress Festival: Beauty of the Bride’, is running in the town's cathedral from Thursday evening until Sunday at 5pm.

Jane has gathered up 58 wedding dresses from many across the decades to put on display in the historic cathedral.

"When I worked as secretary at Dromore Nursery, I organised the annual duck race for 300 people for 15 years," she said.

The Festival of Wedding Dresses in Dromore Cathedral, Co Down. Photo: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press.

"After I retired I needed something else to get my teeth into.

"So one day when I was visiting a Christmas Tree Festival, it struck me that I could do a wedding dress festival."

She began emailing all her friends and family to ask them if they would lend their dresses.

Each dress is accompanied by an information plate, listing who the dress belonged to and the details of the wedding and honeymoon.

Emma Little-Pengelly's wedding dress is on show at the festival.

"We have the dresses belonging to Arlene Foster, Emma Little-Pengelly and Wendy Austin.

"We also have all the dresses of all the school principals in Dromore."

The festival has the dresses of three generations of one family, and other dresses dating back across the past century.

Dresses have been supplied by women from across community, church, business and education sectors of the community.

Arlene Foster's wedding dress is on show at the festival.

The minister, Rev Geoff WIlson, has also supplied six wedding dresses from three generations of his family.

All funds from the festival are going to the cathedral's development fund.

The event opens on 9 May at 7:30pm with a service involving guest speaker Lady Christine Eames, wife of Archbishop Robin Eames. Music will be provided by the Cathedral's SOMA Singers and Soloist Pauline Downey.

The opening hours on Friday are 12 - 8pm; Saturday 10am - 6pm; Sunday 2 - 5pm.

The Festival of Wedding Dresses in Dromore Cathedral, Co Down, organised by Jane Russell. Photo: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press.

On Saturday there will also be a complimentary Classic Car Show taking place in the cathedral car park.

"We have organised that to give the husbands something to do while their wives admire all the wedding dresses,” Jane added.

A suggested voluntary donationis £5, to include refreshments.