Strictly stars unite to celebrate dancer Ian Waite’s wedding

He welcomed the BBC1 show judge Craig Revel Horwood, fellow pro dancers Natalie Lowe and Anton Du Beke, and his own former show partners Zoe Ball and Denise Lewis to the star-studded ceremony in Bedfordshire.

After walking down the aisle at the 18th-century Sculpture Gallery at Woburn Abbey, he told Hello! magazine: “It was the best day of my life.

Ian and Drew shared their big day with Hello! magazine (Hello!/PA)

“It’s been absolutely brilliant. It was so emotional to walk into the ceremony and see friends and family looking towards us.”

He continued: “The ceremony was wonderful, and then walking back past our friends was my highlight actually. I keep saying ‘my husband’ and it’s a really nice feeling. Our wedding was unbelievable.”

Craig could not help showing his softer side (Ian West/PA)

Revel Horwood, known for being the most critical judge on the panel, gave a gushing tribute to the newlyweds, adding: “Ian is one of my favourite Strictly professionals and has been for years…I’m so pleased he’s finally found true love and happiness.”

Ball, who referred to herself and Lewis as Waite’s “Strictly wives”, joked: “We all cried…I’m so happy to see him so happy.

“Drew had a lot to live up to really, all us ‘wives’ had to approve and we wholeheartedly do.

“Ian is the best. I’m obviously completely in love with him – I was tempted to say, ‘It should have been me!’”

The pair have officially taken on the names Mr and Mr Waite as they start their new family life with their pet dog, Oliver, who also greeted guests at the wedding.

Other famous friends who joined in the day included BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood, former swimmer Mark Foster, and dancers Erin Boag, Vincent Simone, Camilla Sacre-Dallerup, Matthew Cutler, Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova.

Hello! magazine, out now (Hello!/PA)

Read the full article in Hello! out now.