A church in County Durham is offering weddings on the cheap for those suffering from the effects of the recession.

St Hild and St Helen’s Church in Dawdon offers the use of the church, an organist and even the bride’s dress for free. The only cost is a £50 charge for four pre-marital lessons, which is payable to the registrar, reports the Daily Mail.

One couple who took advantage of the offer was Donna Swinney, 29 and Alan Davison, 33. Davison was made redundant last year, whilst Swinney left her job in order to take care of their children aged six and eight.

Last Saturday, after a 10-year engagement, the couple finally got married.

The offer by the church meant the newlyweds were able to save in the region of £2000, with final costs coming in at just a few hundred pounds.

Swinney said, “Alan lost his job, so we thought we would have to put it off for another few years … It’s absolutely fantastic what they’re doing. There are so many people out there who won’t be getting married because it’s so expensive.”

Many items used during the wedding, such as clothes and flowers, were donated to the church by the public.

The church pastor, David Taylor, who previously worked for 20 years as a pit miner, was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying, “People really want to get married, but at this time there’s a credit crunch.”

“I think those who have taken up the offer think it’s a novel idea. They wanted to know more because it’s free and they’ve been looking for a church a long time.

“They really want to be married and be together, and that’s as it should be. It will be a typical Christian ceremony.”

St Hild and St Helen used to be part of the Church of England and was built to serve local miners, however it is now a Pentecostal Church.