AS the nation celebrated England reaching the World Cup semi-finals on Saturday, two brides in Bury were busy with their own special celebrations.

Anne-Marie Carey, 32, and Dominique McCormack, 27, set July 7 as the date they were to tie the knot before England had even started playing in the qualifying stage.

The couple got married at the Bolholt Country Park Hotel in Bury on Saturday with the ceremony kicking off in the middle of the England match.

England beat Sweden 2-0 in a comfortable victory taking them to the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in Dominique’s lifetime.

She said: “The atmosphere was amazing and everyone had a good time. We even played Three Lions as the last song before the DJ left.”

The newlyweds, based in Bacup, say that they are not really football fans themselves, but they realised the possibility of a clash with their wedding when family members pointed it out two weeks ago.

Unlike the rest of the country, the couple hoped that England would continue its run of losing in penalty shoot-outs when they lined up against Columbia last week.

Dominique, from Whitworth, said: “It was the only time we wanted England to lose. But when you want them to lose, they win!”

All televisions were switched off at the hotel at 3:30pm when the brides were exchanging vows, but they caught their guests checking phones for the score and some sneaking back into the ceremony at half time.

By the time the newlyweds had their photos taken and sat down for their meal, they already knew England had won, giving plenty of time for their guests to scramble back from the pub.

Dominique said: “My speech included a joke thanking everyone for missing the football. We explained we booked the wedding two years ago.”

The couple have been together for five years after first meeting on a dating site and getting engaged three years later.