A HISTORIC church has held its first-ever wedding to help meet the cost of urgent repairs.

The Grade II listed St Mark's Church in Ramley Road, Pennington, needs to raise tens of thousands of pounds to fund repairs to its organ and three wall paintings.

Designed by architect Charles Edward Giles the church was built in 1859 and replaced a smaller chapel that stood on the same site.

After serving the local community for more than 150 years the building is showing signs of wear and tear.

The wall paintings have been refurbished at a cost of £25,000 and repairs to the organ are set to result in a bill for £34,300.

St Mark's has met about half the cost of restoring the paintings and has also raised £7,000 for the organ project - but still needs to find thousands of pounds.

A church spokesman said: "The decades have taken their toll on the organ.

"Our organists are very talented to make the most of squeaky pedals and leaky pipes, but as time goes by the quality of the music can diminish.

"A full restoration will see the organ dismantled and the various parts checked, cleaned and - where required - replaced. After that it will be carefully reassembled and adjusted to perform to its original glory.

"St Mark's is applying for grants towards the cost of restoring the instrument but we'll be short of the full amount."

The wedding fair, which aimed to raise vital funds as well as helping couples kick-start their wedding preparations, took place on Saturday (FEB 25).

Associate Priest Anne Elliott and other key people at St Mark's were due to be present to answer any questions, give advice and share stories.

People who were married at St Mark's in the past will be on hand to help soon-to-wed couples by passing on hints and tips.