A BRIDE arrived for her wedding on a 40ft breakdown recovery truck – to mark the day she married the man of her dreams.

Poole couple Natalie Speight, 25, and Gareth Down, 23, got hitched at Bournemouth’s Marsham Court Hotel this week.

They met three years ago to the day, when Natalie’s Vauxhall Corsa broke down near Dorchester football ground, and Gareth, then a recovery driver, arrived to help.

“There was a spark as soon as I saw him,” said Natalie, a trainee nurse at a Parkstone vet’s.

“He decided to tow me home rather than get another vehicle. He came to my house for coffee and stayed for three hours.”

Gareth, now a service advisor for Ford, was working for Ashley Wood Recovery of Blandford at the time and the company provided the vehicle – and made sure the cabin was spotless to keep the dress clean.

Natalie said: “The idea came from a mixture of both of us.

“Most people are quite good-humoured about it. A few said ‘I wouldn’t want to turn up in one of them!’.”

She added: “I like my trucks, though. My stepdad’s father used to drive HGVs and I would get in them when I was younger.”

The pair, both from Creekmoor, held the wedding and reception at the hotel before jetting to Florida for a two-week honeymoon.