The star of any wedding is traditionally the bride - but in the case of one Tavistock wedding she had competition from a newly-restored car.

Lydia Whitby looked resplendent when she married Callum Marker at Tavistock’s Bedford Hotel. However, as well as the beautifully attired guests, the official wedding transport was also centre of attention.

Lydia (of Market Lavington, Wiltshire) and Callum (who grew up in Tavistock) made heads turn when they were driven in a vintage cream Land Rover from the wedding with the usual noisy string of empty tin cans towed behind them and a ‘just married’ sign on the back. Lydia and her father Paul had earlier been driven to the wedding by Steve.

The car had been transformed by Callum’s father Steve over several years and was perfectly turned out with a collection of spring flowers in the spare wheel on the bonnet and flowers fixed to netting on the sides of the convertible.

The Land Rover, a 1967 Series 2a short wheel-base, took the couple for a wedding lunch at Taylors in Market Street.

Nikki Marker, Callum’s step mum, said: “Steve, a self-taught mechanic, bought her ten years ago and she promptly broke down on the way home. However, he was not deterred, completely restoring her and repainting her cream (from traditional green). It was just a project in a tiny garage initially.

“Steve and I are both Tavistock School attenders and were the founders of Hansford Bell financial advisors in West Street. I retired after Covid but after the sale of the company, Steve continued as a consultant for a few clients.”

Callum went to Devonport High School and moved to London after graduating, where he met Lydia. The pair met at the firm Dixon Wilson in London in 2017 during accountancy training and have been together for seven years. They will honeymoon in Mauritius.