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Music, the food of love: Izzy and Harry are joined by their musical friends – Izzy’s former Escala bandmates Chantal Abel, Victoria Lyon and Tasya Hodges, and Harry’s fellow McFly members Tom Fletcher, Dougie Poynter and Danny Jones. It was important to the happy couple to include them in their big day, a thought that was appreciated by Tom, who told HELLO!: “We have never met another band who are genuine friends like us”

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MCFLY DRUMMER AND BALLROOM KING

HARRY JUDD AND IZZY JOHNSTON

WALTZ UP THE AISLE BEFORE DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY AT THEIR ‘STRICTLY’ WONDERFUL WEDDING


Harry gets in line with his 11 ushers. “I just thought I’d ask everyone,” he says. On leaving the church, some of the guests were taken to the reception aboard a 1965 London Routemaster bus (right)

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One year after lifting the Strictly Come Dancing glitterball trophy, McFly drummer Harry

Judd had an even bigger reason to celebrate: his marriage to violinist Izzy Johnston in a magical, festive church ceremony in Hertfordshire.

“It was just perfection,” says Harry of their Christmas wedding, which also included performances by both McFly and Izzy’s classical musician brothers, as well as a spectacular first dance, complete with lifts and spins. “Genuinely the best day ever,” he adds. “Izzy looked absolutely beautiful.”

The couple were joined by celebrity friends, including actress sisters Kara and Hannah Tointon, former footballer and Strictly contestant Robbie Savage and former Busted band member Matt Willis and his TV presenter wife Emma. Harry’s McFly bandmates – Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones and Dougie Poynter – were among his 11 ushers.

While the congregation waited in the warmth of St Nicholas Church, Harpenden, they were entertained by carols sung by the eight-piece choir Voces Cantabiles, as well as the huge cheers from the crowd outside. These went into overdrive when Izzy, a former member of electronic string quartet Escala, arrived.

“When I got to the entrance with my dad, we could feel the atmosphere in church,” says Izzy, who looked stunning in a bespoke floor-length gown, featuring layers of imperial silk taffeta, satin-faced silk georgette and French chantilly lace, by Tantrums & Tiaras in Putney, London.

“So I couldn’t wait. I just took a deep breath and tried to take photo images in my mind.”

IN THE PINKWith a beaming smile, the radiant and composed bride walked up the aisle on the arm of her father David to Ennio Morricone’s Gabriel’s Oboe, played by her cellist brother Guy and violinist brother Magnus, greeting friends as she did so.

“It was funny – it was almost like she was reassuring everyone,” says Harry, who met Izzy seven years ago, when she was playing in the string section on McFly’s Wonderland tour. “That was a special moment, seeing her like that. It’s a true sign of Izzy – she’s so selfless and caring.”

“I felt so elated,” adds Izzy, who was accompanied by five bridesmaids and her maid-of-honour – Escala’s Chantal Abel – in elegant pale

‘When I got to the entrance of the church with

my dad, I couldn’t wait’

Izzy had “You had m e a t h e l l o s w e e t h e a r t ” stitched inside Harry’s waistcoat (left), which was made by Tantrums & Tiaras, Putney, w h i c h a l s o d e s i g n e d t h e wedding gown and bridesmaids’ dresses (right). Maid-of-honour C h a n t a l A b e l (above, with Izzy) was “amazing” says Izzy. “All day long she was like, ‘What can I do?’”

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Izzy “loved every second” of the service, which was the first element of the day that she and Harry planned. “It was really important that it had meaning,” she says. “Everything was there for a reason.” Before the bride arrives, Harry is kept calm by his bandmates Tom and Dougie (below), but

emotions take over as Izzy is walked up the aisle by her father David (above). “I couldn’t really look at Izzy,” says Harry. “I was getting welled-up”

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Decorated with Christmas trees and seasonal foliage,

Izzy’s family church of St Nicholas in Harpenden,

Hertfordshire, is the perfect setting for Harry and Izzy’s

wedding ceremony. “I’ve never been to a Christmas

wedding before,” said TV presenter Emma Willis.

“It really feels magical”


Xxxyyyy

Harry and Izzy join in the singing (above left) and kneel at the altar (left). Their rings (below) came from their friend Ashley Wood. Harry was also wearing fingerprint cufflinks – a gift from his bride – that featured Izzy’s own prints, which she’d had taken especially at a police station. The bride was surprisingly relaxed on the day: “I knew that everyone would do an amazing job, so I was able to just enjoy getting married”

‘We always knew they

were going to get married’ Escala cellist Tasya Hodges

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pink dresses made from silk georgette over a layer of coral crepe-backed satin. “I had this overwhelming feeling of happiness. All morning I’d had this warm feeling. I felt so calm and peaceful.”

Her serenity was at slight odds to Harry’s emotions. “I couldn’t really

look at Izzy when she stood next to me,” he says. “I was getting very welled-up.”

FULL OF MEANINGThe Rev. Dennis Stamps conducted the ceremony, referring to the bride by her given name, Brittany Eloise

(Izzy is a nickname created by one of her brothers).

Harry’s mother Emma gave a reading from the First Epistle to the Corinthians, containing the phrase, “Love is patient, love is kind”, and Izzy’s mother Gill read an extract from Louis De Bernières’s novel

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. The couple’s friend Oliver Nias read a poem entitled Love, which he had written especially for them.

Harry’s bandmates Tom, Dougie and Danny played a moving acoustic version of Don’t Worry Baby by The Beach Boys, accompanied

Izzy’s brother Rupert, mother Gill and father David, Harry’s parents Emma and Christopher, and the Rev. Dennis Stamps join Harry and Izzy to sign the register (above). Among those performing at the ceremony were Harry’s bandmates Tom, Danny and Dougie (below left, accompanied by Voces Cantabiles), and Izzy’s horn-player brother Rupert, whose performance of Somewhere in My Memory (below right) left many of the congregation in tears

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Rupert played Somewhere in My Memory, from the soundtrack to the film Home Alone, accompanied by the choir, string quartet and piano. He later formed part of the horn fanfare that played as the newlyweds left the church.

Rupert suffered a serious brain injury in a car accident in 1997 and now requires round-the-clock care, but remarkably his prodigious musical ability was not affected.

Rupert gave a bow after his performance, leaving many in the congregation, who had rewarded him with a standing ovation, with tears in their eyes.

“That set me off,” said Danny. “What a star.”

Explains Izzy: “Both Harry and I are very, very close to our families. My fami ly has exper ienced real tragedy and therefore the wedding was a day we could all be happy and celebrate.”

ROCK ’N’ ROLLSThe new Mr and Mrs Judd headed to the reception, at St Michael’s Manor in nearby St Albans, in a

by a string quartet, piano and the choir. The song was chosen because Harry had played it through his portable speakers when he proposed to Izzy on a beach in St Lucia in May.

Dougie was joined at the wedding by his artist girlfriend Lara Carew-Jones, while Danny was accompanied

by his model girlfriend Georgia Horsley. Danny admitted that they were all also feeling the emotion of the day, saying: “Me and Tom shed a little tear. Izzy looked amazing.”

The bride and groom exchanged rings – hers a platinum band, his a palladium band, both by their

jeweller friend Ashley Wood – before being pronounced man and wife to huge applause.

The musical couple had chosen more tracks to be played while they signed the register and one of the most moving moments of the day came when Izzy’s horn-player brother

‘It was just perfection – the

best day ever. Izzy looked absolutely

beautiful’

The newlyweds snuggle up during a private moment after leaving the church (above), and again outside their reception venue (below), of which they had exclusive use. It meant the couple could pepper the lawn

with large white candles (right), adding a magical touch to their winter wonderland wedding

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Blue Baron Rolls-Royce, while many of the guests followed on behind aboard a 1965 London Routemaster bus.

The wedding party had sole use of the period property, parts of which date back nearly 500 years, so were able to speckle the lawn with an abundance of candles.

“I’ve never been to a Christmas wedding before,” Emma Willis told hello! . “It really feels magical and makes me feel that Matt and I should get married again.”

A d d e d R o b b i e , w h o w a s accompanied to the wedding by his wife Sarah: “It’s been amazing just to see so many talented people in one place, with Izzy’s family playing,” he said, before joking: “I thought McFly were actually better without Harry.”

Escala viola player Chantal, who describes Izzy as “the sister I never had”, admitted that she had “cried from start to finish – it was so moving”.

Fellow Escala musicians Tasya Hodges and Victoria

Other, non-official, invitees to the wedding were a large number of local schoolchildren (below), who were vocal in their delight of the celebrity marriage. “It was very lovely of everyone to turn up,” says Izzy. “Everyone inside

the church knew when I’d turned up because of the screams”

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Lyon, with whom Izzy found fame on Britain’s Got Talent in 2008, were also among the guests.

“We always knew they were going to get married,” said cellist Tasya of the happy couple.

For McFly star Tom and his wife Giovanna, the wedding brought back memories of their own nuptials earlier this year. “Today was beautiful,” he said.

A BRIDE’S TOUCHSuper-organised Izzy had thought of every last detail to make the day unique. There were framed photos of the couple and their family dotted around the manor, a spectacular display of si lver branches on which guests could hang messages for the couple, and a thumbprint tree, on which guests could add fingerprints as “leaves” as a souvenir.

The florists, By Appointment Only Design, had also added their own Christmas touches, including fake snow on the tables and glitterballs on the Christmas tree.

Guests dined on parsnip and manuka honey soup, braised rump of lamb with a light Madeira sauce, savoy cabbage and fondant potato, and a rich sticky toffee pudding with a Baileys and toffee emulsion.

Choosing the cake had been Harry’s “favourite part” of the wedding planning. The four-tier creation by Choccywoccydoodah, which rested on Harry’s gold sparkly drum base, was enrobed in white Belgian chocolate and topped with a glitterball and featured images of a

‘I had this overwhelming feeling of happiness. All morning I’d had this warm feeling. I felt so calm and peaceful’ Izzy

Above: Izzy with McFly’s Dougie, Danny, Harry and Tom. Below: the bride and groom pose with maid-of-honour Chantal Abel (beside Izzy) and (from left) bridesmaids Izzy’s cousin Polly Wiltshire, future sister-in-law Marije Ploemacher, cousin Harriet Davey and childhood friends, twins Jessica Townsend and Harriet Stokes

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violin bow, drumsticks, Izzy’s childhood teddy bear and the couple’s cats.

“ B e c a u s e w e m e t o n t h e Wonderland tour, we had the lyrics from the McFly song Lies – ‘Back in Wonderland like it was yesterday’ – on the bottom,’” explains Izzy.

As they cut the cake, the newlyweds were serenaded by Broadside Barbershop Quartet singing Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World. Izzy had met the local group the night before in a pub and had invited them to the wedding.

Izzy was behind the naming of the tables, too. Each was titled after a character in Winnie-the-Pooh, one of Izzy’s childhood favourites. “We have always written Winnie-the-Pooh quotes in cards to one another,” she tells hello!.

Harry also quoted Winnie-the-Pooh author AA Milne in his wedding speech. “If you live to 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus one day so I never have to live without you,” he told Izzy, adding: “I love you so much and can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

The couple had put a lot of preparation into their first dance, spending nine hours working with

f o r m e r S t r i c t l y d a n c e r a n d choreographer Ian Waite, plus an extra two hours of practice by themselves.

“The night before the wedding I didn’t sleep because I was going through the steps in my head,” laughs Izzy.

STRICTLY BUSINESSAs a surprise, Harry had arranged for Strictly announcer Alan Dedicoat to record a message before they began. The familiar theme tune was played before Alan’s voice announced: “Live from St Michael’s Manor, performing an American Smooth, Izzy Judd and her dance partner, Harry Judd.”

The couple then began an elegant routine to Michael Bublé’s version of Can’t Help Falling in Love, receiving huge cheers when Harry lifted Izzy up and twirled her round.

“I loved it,” says Izzy, who studied at the Royal Ballet Summer School as a child. “It was amazing, spinning around and seeing all your friends, but I was so dizzy.”

“Everyone absolutely loved it,” says Harry. “People said they were crying.”

Izzy had her hair tied back into a ponytail and added a

Harry and Izzy enjoy the company of actress friends Hannah and Kara Tointon (left) and pose with McFly members and their other halves (above, from left): Danny and girlfriend Georgia Horsley, Dougie and

girlfriend Lara Carew-Jones and Tom and his wife Giovanna

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The newlyweds are joined by football pundit Robbie Savage and his wife Sarah and TV presenter Emma Wiilis and her husband Matt (above, from left). Robbie and Harry competed on the 2011 series of Strictly Come Dancing. “Harry is more competitive than you will ever know,” says Robbie

‘It’s been amazing just to see so many talented people in one place, with Izzy’s family playing. I thought McFly were actually

better without Harry!’ Robbie Savage


The happy couple cut their chocolatey cake (above), which is topped with a glitterball in a nod to Harry’s Strictly victory. His speech, which ran to three pages of A4 (below left), “went really well”. After the food came the music, including a set by McFly (below right), with Harry on drums (below opposite)

necklace especially for their dance.“That, to me, was one of the

highlights,” says Harry. “She looked different, but just as beautiful. The thought that had gone into it…”

The headband Izzy wore to the ceremony, also by Tantrums & Tiaras, featured an item of vintage jewellery – Izzy’s “something b o r r o w e d ” – t h a t H a r r y ’ s

grandmother Cilla Swan had worn to a State Opening of Parliament.

Her “something new” was a pearl bracelet given to her by her brother Magnus; her “something blue” was a garter; and for her “something old”, Izzy had had the last line of a prayer that her late grandmother used to sing to her sewn inside her dress.

She had also secretly arranged for

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Guests were treated to a very special first dance when fomer Strictly winner Harry and his bride performed a choreographed routine to Michael Bublé’s Can’t Help Falling in Love (above). “The night before I didn’t sleep because I was going through the steps in my head,” says Izzy. “But it was so weird – I didn’t feel nervous. I loved it.” The couple finish their number – and seal their love – with a kiss (right)

the phrase “You had me at hello sweetheart” to be sewn into Harry’s silk waistcoat.

FRIENDS AND FAMILYTheir dance routine was followed by a set from session band The Kitts, with many of the couple’s guests joining them on the dancefloor. McFly then took to the stage to perform four songs, including the Beatles track Twist and Shout.

It had been important for Harry to involve his bandmates in the day. Their parents and siblings were invited and he’d mentioned the boys in his speech, joking that he would have gone solo if he was as talented as Tom or Danny. He then quipped: “But not Dougie.” They were well-received sentiments, with Tom telling hello!: “We have never met another band who are genuine friends like us.”

The partying continued with a silent disco, where the guests wore individual headphones.

“It was absolutely hilarious,” says Izzy. “We were doing a conga around the hotel at 2.30am.”

They partied until 3.30am and had more parties two days later, when Harry celebrated his 27th birthday. They had a family Christmas two days after that, before heading off on a mini-moon in the Cotswolds.

“It was amazing to wake up the next morning and be Mrs Judd,” says Izzy. Adds Harry: “We’ve had a day that we will treasure for the rest of our lives.” H

INTERVIEW: DAWN EMERYPHOTOS: SVEN ARNSTEIN

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS: ANGELA NEIL AND ROY J BARON

IZZY’S HAIR: MELISSA BROWNIZZY’S MAKE-UP: CLAIRE DE GRAFT

‘It was amazing to wake up the next

morning and be Mrs Judd’

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