A FORMER police officer who swapped her police siren for wedding bells has made it through to the final of a national wedding award.

Manningtree town councillor Michelle Taylor spent 32 years as a police officer.

She retrained as a celebrant, offering wedding ceremonies and naming ceremonies for babies, before retiring from the force and taking up her new role full-time.

Last Friday she won the celebrancy category at the East of England regional final of the national Wedding Industry Awards 2018 and will go through to the UK final in London in January.

Michelle said: “I was well chuffed.

“It has been six years of hard graft.

“My husband was a police officer and he retired and ended up being a wedding photographer. He said I should go and work for him, but I can’t take a picture to save my life.

“I said I would rather marry people, I found celebrancy and didn’t look back.

“Now I get to do the best job, standing at the front, telling people’s stories and having fun.”

Couples who use a celebrant still need to visit the registry office to legally marry in England and Wales.

But after reciting two contractual sentences and signing the register in front of two witnesses, the celebrancy wedding takes over where rings and vows are exchanged in their own style.

Michelle, 50, added: “You can do the ceremony anywhere, I’ve done ceremonies in woodlands and fields and gardens.

“But I’m still waiting for a full on Harry Potter - I’m a big fan and I want to be ‘Dumbledora.”Read more at:www.marieaustralia.com/sexy-formal-dresses | http://www.marieaustralia.com/white-formal-wear