A MAN diagnosed with terminal lung cancer has enjoyed his dream wedding thanks to the generosity of numerous Knutsford businesses and the charity - Gift of a Wedding.

Rhys James, 37, and Rhea Henshaw, 28, who live near Longsight in Manchester, were joined by 80 of their family and friends at Knutsford’s The Belle Epoque on Wednesday, April 20 where a wedding had been kindly donated following a cancellation.

As a distinctive UK charity, Stalybridge-based “Gift of a Wedding” have a clear goal of gifting wedding services to people with terminal or life-shortening illness, and with four decades of wedding experience, The Belle Epoque proved to be the perfect partner to create a very special day.

The Belle Epoque team quickly got to work approaching town centre businesses and suppliers from their extensive address book, all of whom kindly offered their services free of charge to help the day run smoothly.

Among these suppliers, Styal Bridge Cakes provided a delicious wedding cake, Jelly Tots & Dolly Mixtures provided cupcakes, while Knutsford Bloom provided the flowers. In addition, a wedding dress and photography were also gifted.

Following an enjoyable day of celebration in glorious springtime sunshine, award-winning DJ Andy Murphy helped friends and family dance the night away, rounding off a truly memorable day.

Matthew Mooney, owner of King Street favourite The Belle Epoque, which staged the wedding, said: “Today has been a very special day not only for Rhys and Rhea, but also us as a venue.

"It has been extremely heartwarming and quite overwhelming to see the amount of support and goodwill that has helped to make this day, a very special and memorable one for Rhys, Rhea and their family."

Rhys is currently raising awareness of lung cancer, particularly among younger people, encouraging people to familiarise themselves with the symptoms and early warning signs that can indicate the onset of this illness.