Flames of love burning for Peterborough firefighters at themed wedding

There was no extinguishing the love for Ben Howells (27) and Chloe Housden (29) who married at All Saints in Elton on Saturday before being driven in a restored, old fashioned fire vehicle fondly named ‘Vivienne’ to their reception at Elton Hall.

Ben is a serving firefighter on Green Watch at Dogsthorpe Fire Station while Chloe is a firefighter on Green Watch at Stanground Fire Station, and the happy couple were joined by fellow members of their crews in full uniform for the special day.

To continue with the theme an arch was made over the bride and groom using presentation axes from The Fire Fighters Charity while another archway was made using ladders before being covered in flowers.

Chloe said: “The wedding was amazing, I loved seeing all the different groups of our guests coming together - we sang and danced through the night!”

The couple, who sometimes find themselves attending the same fire, live in Chatteris where they are also both on call firefighters.

They met at fire school in Wales before falling in love while training for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Those who work in the fire service know how important the ‘family’ has become to Ben and Chloe, so it was a natural decision for them to incorporate lots of elements from their jobs into their special day.

Ben’s father Mike was also a firefighter before Ben was born, while his grandmother worked in fire service administration for 30 years in Birmingham.

Ben said: “It was a fantastic day and night with all our closest family, friends and work family.

“We wanted a small fire service theme throughout our day as it is a massive part of our lives, especially as it is where we met!”

In the evening the guests enjoyed sparklers and roasting marshmallows over a fire pit, and surrounded by so many firefighters they felt very safe!

Chloe’s parents Rob and Sue Housden run Housden’s Outside Catering so were able to cater the entire wedding and make sure every guest was well fed. They also presented Ben with a fire engine cake during the speeches.

Chloe’s sister Rebecca Howells said: “I have never been to such an exciting wedding before. My children were in their element surrounded by their real life heroes, the firefighters.

“It was a delight to see how happy the bride and groom were. They are a very special couple who inspire others with their work as firefighters.”