A BRIDE celebrated her marriage with steak and chips and half a lager after the Gulf call-up wrecked her lavish wedding plans.

Nichola Thomas, 38, had to settle for a more simple wedding after her paratrooper fianc was issued with his call-up papers.

Sergeant Dave Thomas, 39, had to cancel a four-star hotel reception for 100 guests, losing the deposit, when his unit, 7 Para, was sent to the Middle East.

The couple, from Catterick, North Yorkshire, were due to marry on February 22, but had to bring the wedding forward by three weeks because of the military build-up.

Despite the change of plan, Mrs Thomas wore her full bridal gown in front of six guests in a local church and then headed for the pub for the rushed reception.

She said: "We were due to have a church wedding, top hat and tails, reception, disco, the lot.

''Instead, I had to settle for just six of us and steak and chips in the local pub.

''We decided we still wanted to get married before he went out. We are hoping for a big celebration when Dave gets back."

''I still wore my bridal gown in the church, even though there were not too many people there.

''We did not have any wedding cake or confetti but it was still the happiest moment of my life.''