THE first wedding has been celebrated in the new London postcode E20, the former Olympic athletes' village. It took place in St Paul's, Stratford, in Chelmsford diocese, to the complete surprise of the congregation.

Duncan and Katie Wallace wanted to have 11-month-old Finn baptised, and they also wanted to get married, but not with the enormous fuss and expense that has become usual. So they asked the Priest-in-Charge at St Paul and St James, the Revd Jeremy Fraser, if he could do the two services back to back. "I had never done this before, but felt 'Why not?'" he said. "They wanted a wedding without too much fuss, and I wanted to support them."

The couple invited family and friends to the baptism, and asked them to stay on for an engagement party. Finn was baptised by the Assistant Curate, the Revd Annie McTighe, and then Mr Wallace stood up and asked all those present to stay in their seats while Finn's mother became a bride and they got married.

"The shock turned to laughter as the surprise sunk in," Mr Fraser says. "Then there was warm applause."