On our wedding day we hope to be surrounded by family and friends who we love.

However, it will be impossible to overlook that a number of people, including the father-of-the-bride, will not be there to share the day with us because they have lost their lives due to cancer.

Until the day in May 2007 when she realised it could never happen, Sarah had dreamed of the day her father would walk her down the aisle on her wedding day.

His absence will undoubtedly be keenly felt by us, and many other people, throughout our big day, particularly when he should have been proudly leading his little girl into the church or embarrassing her with his speech.

We will always feel an irreplaceable part of our big day was missing but remain grateful that he lived long enough to meet the man who would eventually become his son-in-law.

The father-of-the-bride is not the only person missing from our lives, and our wedding, because of cancer. We think particularly of our friends and former colleague Howard Milton who lost his battle against the disease in May 2011 after putting up a brave and inspirational fight.

On our wedding day we will remember and pay tribute to them and others who have succumbed to this terrible disease. We will also give thanks for those who have won their own fights, particularly those whose victories mean they are able to be there with us on the day.

We hope that, thanks to the invaluable work of Cancer Research UK, many more lives will be saved which might have been lost in the past.

That is why we want to use our wedding as an opportunity to raise some funds towards that work. We hope you will share our desire to see more successful treatments and eventually a cure for cancer and that you will be able to spare a few pounds to help this happen.

If our collective efforts mean just one bride is walked down the aisle by a father who would not be here without advances in medical research, our efforts will be worthwhile.

Thank you.

Sarah & Gary
xXx