Lauren & Anthony Don't Tell the Bride

From the depths of the earth...

to the crests of the mountains...

My legs have gone weird!

..these crusading grooms must rise to the challenge.

-£12,000...

-LAUGHTER

..and just three weeks...

I love that girl! I love HER!

..to plan a wedding worthy of their betrothed.

Oh, my God.

What's he done?

He just took my dress!

These fair maidens are bound by contract to be legally wedded.

God, no.

But have no say in their big day.

Is it all just going to be last-minute and just rubbish?

Oh, I hate it. I need to get out of it.

Can these hapless heroes marshal their armies...

I love her, but she's a bitch when she's like this.

..vanquish dragons...

ALL: Oh, God!

Do as your future mother-in-law tells you!

..and conquer all before them?

Get out of my pub!

Or will they be...

SQUEALING

..defeated?

I'm not doing it.

Tonight, comic-book geek, Ant, plans a superhero wedding in a bat cave.

With the ceilings being so low, it is still intimate.

But for bride-to-be, Lauren, tradition is best.

It's all right, isn't it?

I want a big dress. It's my wedding day, people have got to look at me.

Will our Boy Wonder complete his mission?

Oh, God, I shouldn't be talking about cheaper when I'm talking about a wedding dress.

Or will his master plan backfire?

No, no. I want to get it off.

I'm not playing this game, I want to get it off.

Has he met his match in worthy adversary, the mother-in-law?

If he makes a laughing stock of her, I shall kill him. And I mean that.

And can his Wonder Woman overcome her fears?

I don't think Lauren's afraid of the underground.

Otherwise that'd be a really big mistake I've made.

I don't like dark, I don't like small spaces

and I don't like nature.

I could kill him.

Bournemouth, in Dorset.

Home to sand, surf...

..and soon-to-be-weds, Anthony and Lauren.

-We've only been going out for around ten months now.

-Yes.

But it's just been so natural, the whole thing.

It sounds really, really corny, but it hit me

very quickly that I really couldn't see myself without him, really.

-What a technique!

-MasterChef.

It's like watching Jamie Oliver.

We moved in together after six weeks.

It happened really quickly, didn't it?

I knew that...I was in love with Lauren,

because it just felt so natural.

So it's been a whirlwind romance.

In less than a year, they've gone from planning a first date,

to planning a wedding.

They are a perfect match, hoping for the perfect wedding.

So it must have been a perfect proposal, right?

Yeah, how did the proposal go, Ant?

Well, you know, I'm sure if I'd done it, it would have gone really well.

I always joke about it to him.

-Joke...

-Where's my ring...?

She says joke, it's not a joke.

It's the most serious she ever is.

Things happened so quickly that these things just slipped by the wayside.

Yeah, didn't they?

So, no proposal and no engagement ring.

Lucky for Ant, his forgiving bride-to-be is head over heels in love.

Ant is just a really warm person.

He's really funny, he's really caring.

He's just a really charismatic person, like, you just want

to be around him. Well, like, I want to be around him.

And now doting Lauren has her true love,

she won't let him out of her sight. Ever.

She does like me to be with her at all times.

Hoo-hoo! Hoo-hoo!

That means that either Lauren wants attention or she wants something.

Hoo-hoo!

-All right, hang on.

-I like being the centre of his...

..attention, I suppose.

-Hoo-hoo!

-Let me just do this.

And he's always sort of pandered to it.

Hoo-hoo!

-Hang on!

-Hoo-hoo!

-Yes, dear?

-Can I have some juice, please?

-Is that really why you called me in here?

-Yes. Thank you, love you.

The hoo-hoo is just an extension of the neediness, really.

Will that be all?

Her way of making it cute. It's not cute.

It's a bit strong!

He may be everything she needs but, for Ant,

there's more to life than Lauren.

I have three main passions in life.

-And they are...

-Lauren.

-No. You're the other main passion.

-Lauren.

Yeah, Lauren, Lauren... No.

Apart from Lauren, my three main passions are definitely

video games, comic books and football.

Comic books are extremely important to me.

They're pretty much my life at the moment apart from Lauren.

The things that you love passionately I hate passionately.

But other than Ant, Lauren does have another great love -

her family.

There's Nana Pat and Grandad Malcolm,

sisters Sophie and Becca, stepdad Colin and mum Carolyn.

It's quite tough because my mum lives in France, so, you know,

you've only met her a handful of times but I think

they're really looking forward to him being part of the family.

After just ten months, the in-laws don't know Ant that well.

So he has lots to prove by planning Lauren's dream wedding.

If Ant upsets my daughter, I shall upset him.

If he is so selfish, it's going to be very difficult for me to forget that.

And this mum has a very clear idea of what she wants for her daughter.

My princess daughter deserves a princess wedding

with horse-drawn carriage, maybe, lots of frills and sparkles

and something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

Let's hope he's spoken to his mother.

LAUGHTER

So, any final words of advice?

Marrying into Carolyn and Carolyn's family,

I know how difficult it was to get that wedding absolutely spot on.

I wish you all the best, mate. LAUGHTER

He'll need it.

Just like her mum, Princess Lauren also wants a conventional wedding.

My dream wedding would be really traditional - pastels,

matching table decorations, country manor house, white dress.

I mean, I don't want a dress that weighs more than me

but I want a big dress, it's my wedding day!

People have got to look at me and realise I'm the bride.

Unfortunately, Anthony is not exactly on the same page.

I don't want to have a traditional wedding day cos, you know,

sometimes you go to a wedding and it's horrifically boring.

I want this to be a day

where people remember events throughout the day. I think it's safe

to say that I want something that isn't like anything else

and that is going to stick in people's minds.

So, just what would create an unforgettable day for this big kid?

When I was little, I always wanted to be a superhero.

So, that is my general theme for the day - it will revolve around,

not just superheroes, but comic books in general.

I want the venue to reflect my interest in comic books.

And I want people to get involved in the day,

I want everyone to dress up as their own superhero.

I just want to do the wedding for everyone, not to prove anything

to myself, really, just to give everyone a day that they will enjoy.

I want Lauren to go away and, you know, have had a great day

with everyone we love around us. I just want it to be perfect.

While Ant wants to prove he can be his bride's very own superhero

with a comic book wedding, for Lauren and her family,

nothing but traditional will do.

Anthony may need superhuman powers to pull this one off.

It's almost time for the couple to say goodbye.

Got to make sure I've got at least one onesie with me.

Good old Spidey seems a good choice.

For the next three weeks, they will have no contact whatsoever.

All right? Going to be OK?

So, it's now or never for any final grand gestures.

Oh, God.

Good lad.

I love you so much.

And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?

Of course I will.

-That's a good answer. I love you so much.

-I love you, too.

-Don't

-BLEEP

-it up, right?

-I won't

-BLEEP.

-I promise. I love you.

-I love you, too.

-See you soon.

-Bye, baby.

-I love you.

-I love you, too.

I feel horrible. It's only three weeks.

I'm just going to miss him. Just going to miss him.

It's only three weeks, you can do it.

While he plans the wedding, Anthony will be living with best man Steve,

his best mate from work.

-Hello, mate.

-Hiya.

-You all right?

-Yeah, you all right?

-Yeah, not bad.

For the next three weeks, this dynamic duo will be doing

everything in their power to put together Ant's comic book spectacle.

Starting...

Tonight I want to chill out.

I just want nothing to do with the wedding at all.

..tomorrow.

Ohh, Jeez!

KNOCKING ON DOOR Yoo-hoo, Lauren, it's Mummy!

Meanwhile, back home...

-Hello, Mummy.

-Hello, darling.

..Mummy Carolyn is moving in with Lauren.

My first daughter out of the three getting married,

-I wouldn't miss it for the world.

-What a way to do it, as well.

I know he wouldn't do anything intentionally to upset you

or hurt you but I also know that he does have a weird sense of humour.

And I'm not sure.

Anyway, I'm sure it's going to be all right, my darling.

Yeah, can I have more of that, please? More of...

-More of the positive thoughts.

-"This is a really good idea."

-OK.

I just hope that Ant gets it right.

Because I wouldn't like to see my daughter upset

and I don't think he'd like to see me upset.

-Looking a bit tired, my love.

-I'm really tired.

I'll get you to bed early tonight.

My worst-case scenario is that he makes us all

dress up in fancy dress.

That would be absolutely...the pits.

A fancy dress wedding? Surely not.

I think the most sort of impactful thing that I'm going to do

is going to be making people dress up.

-I'm thinking for like the main crux of the idea...

-Mm.

..I want to go superhero, supervillain,

comic book kind of style.

Thinking, for venue, Batcave.

Holy moley, did he just say "Batcave"?

I went to have the impact of people going in, you know,

they're going to remember the day in the cave, aren't they?

-Who's had a wedding in a cave?

-What you're planning to do is ludicrous.

That's the most important thing.

Nobody's going to forget the time that they was told to stand in a cold cave

and just pretend to be happy whilst wearing a cape or a mask.

Cape and mask? Sounds risky.

I think his future mother-in-law was thinking more of wearing a hat.

How do you think they're going to react to what you're planning?

I'm absolutely shitting myself with worry about what

-they're going to think.

-I think you should be.

-I think I should be.

I think they're more likely to kill me than Lauren.

These wannabe superheroes know their theme is a gamble.

So to make sure they win Lauren's family round they're hatching

a plan to guarantee the wedding goes without a hitch.

-Stag-do?

-Yeah. Get that up there.

And then the hen-do, as well.

Booze. Food.

-Rings.

-Forgot suits.

-Forgot suits. Props.

Lauren loves cheese, as well, so that's something to bear in mind.

Oh, crap. Cake.

LAUGHTER

This is the sort of thing we need to be thinking about in the pub

when we've had a couple.

You know what we haven't written yet which is probably quite important?

-What's that?

-The dress.

-Elegance over extravagance.

-Classy.

Move over, Superman, this is Super Wedding Planner Man.

Surely simple's cheaper?

I shouldn't be talking about cheaper when I'm talking about a wedding dress.

-12 grand's not a lot when you think about it, is it?

-No.

Well, this looks like a plan, Super Wedding Planner Man.

Time to leap into action.

Into the Plan-mobile. Or Volkswagen.

Mission one, find a venue.

Every superhero has a secret lair, so Ant

and his trusty sidekick Steve are using the Batcave as inspiration.

It's day one and we're off to our first venue.

I'm feeling quite apprehensive about what we're going to find when we get there.

Lovely.

Ant's hoping to impress Lauren and her family with

an unconventional wedding in an unconventional location.

And they don't come much less conventional than Beer Quarry Caves.

The whole space is just absolutely incredible.

The vast complex of caverns has that dark brooding ambience

every superhero's underground HQ needs.

I just don't know how anyone could come down here

and not be blown away by how beautiful and incredible it is.

This is more sort of superhero cave-like than we expected, isn't it?

The caves clearly have the unusual wow-factor Ant wants for his wedding venue.

It just fits into the theme perfectly.

It's got everything we need in terms of the space, the secluded

nature of it, the impact of what I want people to feel as they come in.

But Ant is about to be confronted by a dastardly enemy.

Even our superhero is powerless in the face of...

Health And Safety Man!

Everybody should...wear a safety helmet.

I don't think Lauren would want to wear a hard hat in her dress.

Nothing overrides safety. And we have to abide by that.

So, Ant is prepared to send his bride down a dark dank hole.

But not if she has to wear a hard hat.

You kind of shot yourself in the foot,

-really, by wanting to do it in a cave.

-This is a stupid idea.

I think when I thought of having my wedding in a cave,

I maybe hadn't thought it through all the way.

LAUGHTER

Unfortunately for Ant, Lauren's put plenty of thought

into where she wants to get married.

I feel very at home here, actually.

Highcliffe Castle is one of Bournemouth's most desirable wedding venues,

and has everything this traditional-loving family could ask for.

Its landscaped gardens, banquet hall,

ballroom and ceremonial space

bathed in natural light are all that Lauren could have dreamed of.

Oh, my God. It's all right, isn't it?

-It is.

-This is amazing.

-It's pretty grand.

-It's very grand.

The big stained-glass window just really makes it

feel like it's something out of a fairy tale.

In fact, that might show me up a little bit.

LAUGHTER

People might look at the window rather than me.

Actually, it's nice, tall ceilings, but it's not very big.

Am I being a bit picky? I feel a bit claustrophobic.

While Lauren's feeling a bit cramped for space in the vast

vaulted ceiling of the banquet hall,

Ant's heading back underground.

Hundreds of feet underground, through a series of claustrophobic

tunnels deep into the heart of Somerset's Wookey Hole.

And as holes go, he couldn't dig himself a hole deeper than this.

-This is chamber one, the Witch's Kitchen.

-OK.

This is the first chamber,

it's one of three that you could choose to get married in.

This chamber holds up to 70 guests.

Ant's determined to give Lauren an unforgettable wedding.

But will his idea of a wedding venue make it

memorable for the right reasons?

When it's wet, it can be slippery, so kind of sensible footwear.

We've already established a no heels rule.

We thought it might be a problem.

Flowers, you don't really need them here,

you can make a saving, cut that out of your budget.

-They don't show up very well.

-Always good to save a bit of cash.

-More money for suits.

-And wedding dresses.

-Yeah.

Meanwhile, back at Highcliffe...

Yes!

Wow.

Wow.

..the bridal party are being dazzled

by the castle's sun-soaked ceremonial space.

This is exactly what I imagined. Just oozes the feel of something...

Traditional, isn't it? It's just grand.

It's amazing.

Shall we have a practice run? Come on, Abs.

Having only known his bride-to-be for less than a year, concerns

are surfacing that it's not just Lauren he should be worried about.

We're not going to be very happy if Ant doesn't choose

somewhere with a bit of class and a bit of style.

My family are very important to me.

So if anything happened to upset them,

that would, in turn, upset me. So that's what I worry about.

Booking a traditional venue could certainly help win over Lauren's mum.

But Ant's future mother-in-law is worried this isn't part of his plan.

I'm not really trusting Ant.

I'm not looking forward to what he's going to do for her

because it won't be anything that will be good enough for her.

She's too much of a princess for me. So, no, I'm not...

..I'm not dealing with the surprise element. Dreading it.

Oh, dear.

In Somerset, after a series of tunnels,

and through an entrance Lauren would have to crawl through...

Oh, my God. That didn't do my back any good.

The boys have reached the final, deepest cave, the Witch's Parlour.

Let's hope it doesn't spell disaster.

This chamber, I think, is the one that I would like to have it in.

It is so big, so we can fit more people in here if we needed to.

But with the ceilings being so low, it is still intimate.

-What did you think?

-I absolutely loved it.

I just think it's perfect for us and what we want to do.

The next thing I need to ask is, how much...?

The cost to hire that chamber is £1,400 plus VAT.

That's more or less perfect for us.

So, Ant's got his superhero venue for his comic big wedding...

-but there's a catch.

-We can only do the ceremony only, not reception.

We can definitely do a ceremony in the caves at five o'clock.

Jeepers creepers. Just the ceremony?

That means they'll need somewhere for a reception.

The boys make the ten-mile dash to check out

Glastonbury's Assembly Rooms.

-This is actually quite a nice, little space, isn't it?

-It is cool.

Basically, for a grand, you've got bar staff,

you have got a lighting rig here,

you've got a PA already set up

so you don't need to worry about hire.

-Basically, you're getting a hell of a lot for next to nothing.

-OK.

Yeah, I like it. I do like it a lot more than I thought I would.

It's a done deal. Two venues hired.

We made a good decision.

Strong choice.

I think Lauren is going to love it.

I don't see how she couldn't.

I might have to eat my words in a couple of weeks,

which I'm used to doing,

but I think...

I think she's going to like it.

As week one draws to a close, so far,

our budding hero has spent nearly £3,000

on a big hole in the ground to get married in...

..and an empty hall for his reception.

Kapow!

As week two begins,

these jokers need to swing into action on their next mission.

Good afternoon, is Joe available?

Arranging everything else.

The theme of the wedding is, sort of, superheroes and comic books.

For £60, you offer a themed bar?

I want, sort of, three quarters superhero

and one quarter nice wedding.

I'm actually interested in your wedding cheesecakes.

Ah, right, no. Looking at that, that looks really nice, actually.

After a superhuman effort,

the boys have blown £6,000...

£100 for the bride...

and £50 delivery.

And Ant's starting to worry about his rapidly shrinking budget.

Yep.

I'm not trying to be overly frugal,

but I just don't want to run out of money.

I want to make sure Lauren has a nice dress.

That's the most important thing for the is that she has a lovely dress

and I know that's going to be a fair whack of the old budget.

He has really got to remember that it is only one day,

and it's one day that he gets

to create memories that he can have for the rest of his life.

To almost squander those memories

by worrying too much about the budget

and worrying too much about other people...

..I think he might regret it.

Meanwhile, Lauren and her mum are paying Nana Pat a visit.

-Hello.

-Hello, Nana.

-Oh!

-It's lovely to see you.

-I've missed you.

-And how are you feeling about it all?

-Fine. I'm not...

-Truthfully?

-No, it is horrible. I'm hating it.

To cheer her up in the present,

Carolyn is taking her daughter back to the past.

Do you like all this stuff, Lauren? I think this is lovely.

It's what the children at weddings would come up and give you as a gift.

You'd get, like, a rolling pin there and a lucky horseshoe.

I do really like it, actually.

It's a nice little tradition, isn't it?

Seeing Nan's photos for the first time has made Lauren realise

how much she's s missing her man.

I'm really struggling. I'm being pathetic.

I think Ant is going to have a hell of a lot to do -

where I'm, sort of, just at home,

carrying on with my life as normal.

I'm missing him a lot more than I think he's going to be missing me.

I hope he's missing me less than I'm missing him,

cos I'm so miserable without him.

The trip down memory lane has also got Carolyn thinking.

Look how they've decorated around the edge of the cake

with the things that the children have given Nanny

as a gift to the bride.

These quaint traditions have reminded Carolyn

of something important Ant might have forgotten.

Coming from a family that do things traditionally,

I find it very strange that my daughter

will be getting married in three weeks' time,

Ant hasn't actually asked permission from Lauren's father

for her hand in marriage,

which is something that I would think is very serious.

Because that's the tradition and the right way to do things.

I suppose, at the end of the day,

nobody is going to be good enough for your daughter.

With Ant in danger of transforming from superhero to supervillain

in Carolyn's eyes, perhaps it's time to stick to the traditions

of a conventional wedding.

But Ant's thinking more convention

than conventional -

a comic book convention.

Ant's master plan is to dress up his guests as superheroes

to tie in with his theme...

I love the smell of napalm in the morning!

..but he's not come here for costumes,

he's come...

for wedding bouquets.

-I am getting married in a couple of weeks...

-Oh, cool.

..and the theme of my wedding is comic books and superheroes,

so these seem pretty perfect for what I want to do.

-It's not going to die...

-No.

-..like a normal flower, so she'll have it to keep.

-Forever.

For once, it seems that he's thinking of Lauren...

-Is your future bride-to-be a comic book fan?

-In a word, no.

-Oh, OK.

..or maybe not.

If she's not a massive comic book fan, then that would be ideal.

It's mixed with another flower,

so you've just got a few of the comic book roses

dotted through the bouquet. It's nice to do a happy medium.

No, perfect. Yeah, definitely.

£650 later, the wedding flowers are sorted.

Ah, the sweet smell of success.

Obviously flowers are quite important for a girl on her wedding day.

And it will remind you every single day of

that silly day in a cave where you...

gave her a bouquet of comic book roses.

With the end of week two fast approaching,

Ant's beginning to doubt his comic book wedding

will give his bride and her family

the special day they deserve.

I've managed to get in a lot of the things that I want

that Lauren would not appreciate at all,

but there is always a thought in my head that...

I've still have to live the rest of my life with Lauren after this,

so I don't want her to be...

thinking that I didn't have a care for her during the whole process.

So, thinking of Lauren,

Ant's spending 500 quid on an all expenses paid hen do in London...

Come on, hens.

We've been told to wait here.

So...

..starting with a spine-chilling ghost tour.

-Hello, Lauren.

-Hi.

-I have a surprise for you, from Anthony.

LAUGHTER

-Amazing.

-Come.

Hold tight, please.

-DEEP VOICE:

-Hold tight.

-I've got the willies.

Now, on the left-hand side,

we have the Tower of London.

Had ghosts on many occasions, always headless.

I am massively into spirits, the paranormal, the occult,

it's a massive, massive passion of mine.

-Bang!

-Oh, God...

For Ant to actually choose something to do with that,

it means so much because he thinks it's all a load of rubbish.

-..On the river!

-THEY SCREAM

We're on Tower Bridge.

I feel so much more confident about everything else

that he's got planned now.

If he thought this much about me for the hen do...

..it's restored my faith that he's going to

think about me for the wedding as well.

So, I feel so much better

just being on a ghost bus.

THEY CHEER

Well, there's no doubt Ant's is thinking of her.

Being away from Lauren has shown him

he relies on her as much as she dotes on him.

This time apart from Lauren has made me realise that

I do need her more than I kind of let on.

I do miss her massively.

It's nice to know that, at the end of three weeks,

I'll be married to the person that I love more than anything in the world,

which is the most important thing for me, really.

At the end of the three weeks, you know,

I'll have put on a wedding that, hopefully, she will have enjoyed

and not want to kill me afterwards.

At least he has his stag do to help take his mind off things.

Squeezing into his superhero costume,

he smashes through drinks like The Hulk...

..and even shows off his special Spidey moves.

THEY CHEER

# Wake up early in the morning

# Didn't really sleep last night... #

It's the morning after the stag

and we have got to go and buy a dress.

Ant, are you going to get up, mate?

Oh. LAUGHTER

What's the time?

-11 o'clock.

-What time are we due at the dress shop?

At 11 o'clock.

-It's time to get up.

-OK.

With just four hours' sleep...

and severely hungover,

Ant's decided now is the perfect time

for making the most important decision of the wedding.

I'm extremely tired and now I have to buy a dress.

Luckily, I don't feel sick,

I just feel very tired, I just want to sleep.

Despite still having thousands in the bank,

and grasping the gravity of the situation,

he's come to a bridal shop that specialises

in pre-loved and ex-display samples.

-Too risky.

-I don't think the trail's going to be appropriate in a cave.

Daunted by the decision, they come up with a low-risk strategy.

The more, sort of, additional things on,

lacy bits and frills, the more risky it gets.

This is the one bit we really cannot mess up.

So, their plan is the simpler, the safer.

It is nice, that one. I do like it.

-It's fairly understated, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Simple, safe and second-hand.

-This worries me, though.

-It's not the end of the world.

But it's probably the end of the world to a girl.

Meanwhile, Lauren has also got a date

with a bridal shop,

and with the help of her entourage,

she's hoping to find the dress of her dreams.

ALL: No.

-Don't you like it?

-No.

You don't want a dress like that for your wedding day.

You don't want to walk down the aisle

looking like you're in a nanny's nightie.

So, anything slim, slender and figure hugging is a no-no...

Next.

THEY GASP

-Wow!

-But anything big, puffy and attention grabbing is a yes-yes.

That is amazing.

-Absolutely gorgeous.

-I look cracking.

LAUGHTER

Don't blow your own trumpet, Lauren.

She may not have found the one...

That's more like it.

..but it's clear that big and bouncy is beautiful.

I look like a bride.

-Like a princess.

-Can I try a veil, please?

-Of course.

Ant's a very difficult task ahead of him, hasn't he?

To try and please you. I'm glad it's not me.

Poor Anthony.

Well, poor Anthony has gone from hero to zero.

You look awful.

I feel awful. THEY LAUGH

I feel pretty horrific.

The hangover's kicked in and so he's sitting this one out,

leaving sidekick Steve to save the day.

-Lovely.

-50 people could forget the dress and go, "That's amazing,"

and she could look at it and go, "No, I don't like it,"

so that's what I am concerned about.

It's not my wife, so, technically,

I get away with this whatever happens.

That's too complicated.

It's a bit too jazzy.

Steve may be clueless when it comes to Lauren's dress taste...

Right, I will get you in the car.

LAUGHTER

-That is you.

-Yeah, that's amazing.

..but after an exhaustive search of brand-new dresses,

Lauren's finally found the one.

I just love everything about this dress.

I just love the vintage lace,

the tiny little sparkles and how it drags me in at the waist.

With a strapless bodice, long train and huge skirt,

she's gone big on princess-style.

I think if Ant could see your face now,

he would move heaven and earth for you to have that style of dress.

I'm going to do some telepathic thinking.

LAUGHTER

Ant, Ant, this is the vision.

Well, that might be the vision,

but this is the reality.

-Aren't I pretty?

-You look very pretty.

I like the fact that there's the halterneck on it.

I think that's pretty. There's not too many details.

It doesn't have a big train, it's not going to drag on the floor.

-Yeah!

-The boys think they have a winner.

They've gone simple and slender.

Despite having nearly four grand left and still a week to go,

they've bought a gown at just a third of the cost

of Lauren's dream dress...

after only an hour.

The dress wasn't an issue of price,

it was just finding the right dress.

I would've paid double or triple what it cost, to be honest,

because I just thought it was a lovely dress.

Needing to prove to Lauren's family he's her hero

this could be his biggest gamble.

I'm finding today very difficult because...

the dress that Lauren came out in made her look like

a beautiful princess, and to think that maybe

she might not get that...

It's a little bit...

If I try on the dress that he's picked

and I don't like it, I really don't know how I'm going to react.

Do I feel that strongly about the dress that I'm not going to wear it?

Or do I hate it that much that I can't wear it?

Or do I wear it cos Ant's picked it

and it's his vision of me as his bride?

I really can't call that one at the moment.

-Later that day...

-Hello, sweet.

..Ant sends boy wonder over to Lauren's

to deliver her wedding invite.

Hiya.

-What are you up to?

-I've brought you something.

Oh, God.

I don't know what your reaction to this is going to be, but...

Oh, my God.

I knew it.

Oh, my God.

He's spent 150 quid getting a cartoonist

to immortalise the couple as superheroes on their big day.

-There you are, go on.

-Oh, my God, you were... We were right.

I knew it!

-Are these the official wedding invitations?

-Yeah.

Oh, my God, what has he done?

I just want to see... (what dress he's got on her.)

-I'll come and see out.

-See you later.

The invite is the first hint the family have had

about what Ant may have in store for them at the wedding.

The invite is very unique, so I like that about it.

It's very Anthony, but it's not what I would have picked.

I don't think I want to say anything, actually.

It's comic-themed and we all knew it was going to be comic-themed.

If he makes a laughing stock of her and the wedding is comic-themed,

I shall kill him and I mean that.

I hope that's as far as his head's going to go with the comic theme.

It's just not as traditional as I would have thought.

God knows what people are going to think

when it comes through the door.

I don't give a shit what people think

when that comes through the door. I'm sad that you've thought that.

I'm sure that the actual wedding...

..will be just as traditional...

as any others.

Oblivious to the reaction the invitation's caused,

our dynamic duo swing into action...

blowing nearly all of the remaining money on the finishing touches.

Pow! Right in the kisser!

I'm going to take that one.

Superman's getting in the way. Story of Batman's life.

They've got superhero confetti.

Have that on tables, throw it around the venue.

-220 in a bag...

-Ooft!

-Ooft!

# Because that's what being a superhero is all about. #

I would like to say that I feel relieved.

This is going to be one of the most important days of her life

and I don't want to ruin that.

Hopefully, so far,

I haven't done that

and she will like what I've done.

It's the day before the wedding,

and the last three weeks have been weighing heavily

on Lauren's mum's mind.

When you are thrown something

that's not really what you wanted for your child

or what you expected, that has been difficult for me to go...

"Deep breath, step back, this is for Lauren."

A few more surprises are to be sprung at Lauren -

obviously, the dress and the venue -

which are the two major things about a girl's dream wedding.

For me, my strategy of coping with Lauren

is to just put Lauren's best interests at heart,

bite my lip and go with the flow.

The time has come for Lauren to see the dress

Ant wants her to get married in.

She had her heart set on a princess-style wedding dress,

but Ant's taken a huge gamble by buying a plain,

pre-owned, gown that cost a third of the one

she fell in love with...

when he was hungover.

My heart's beating like a drum.

I just want to see my daughter's face.

That will tell me everything.

Oh, God.

What is this?

It's a fur shrug.

Oh, God.

I'd rather wear my coat.

I hate it. I hate it.

I really wanted to like it, but I don't.

We're just assuming Ant knows Lauren as well as we do

and he has got it right first time.

I just don't know why he would look at that and go,

"Yep, Lauren."

It's not what I'd pick. I just don't like it.

I would like to try it on and then...

I'll judge it from there.

But before she can judge it,

the family get a sneak preview.

-SHOP ASSISTANT:

-You can open your eyes now.

-It is very nice.

-It's actually really nice.

It is not what you wanted,

it's the complete opposite to what you picked,

but it is lovely.

You're not crying, so it's not as nice as the other one, is it?

You look very disappointed, Lauren, but you haven't seen yourself,

so let's get that done now.

Oh, my God. No.

I hate it.

It looks like a ball gown.

I want to get it off, I don't like it.

No, no, I want to get it off, I don't like it.

I'm not playing this game, I want to get it off.

There's no train, really, there's no veil...

It just doesn't look like a wedding dress.

It looks like something

that a middle-aged person would wear on a cruise ship.

If that is how he sees me, then...

I don't really know what to make of that.

It's the most important day of my life and

I didn't feel anything in that dress or for that dress

so, I am going to...

decide that I don't want to wear this dress.

With no wedding dress,

there'll be no wedding,

so the shop owner agrees to let Lauren try on some more.

I don't know.

-I like it.

-I prefer the other one...

I'm not 100%.

..but I like this one.

-You already seen that one and you said no to that one.

-No.

-Is there any in there that you can see?

-No.

That's no good.

Determined to only get married in a princess-style dress,

there just isn't the choice to satisfy what Lauren has in mind.

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of options...

..in my size in this shop,

and I have exhausted all the ones that I liked and...

They're lovely, but I don't feel happy in them,

so I'm not going to get married in anything that...

..I'm not completely happy in.

Ant's choice of dress,

made just hours after his stag do,

has backfired.

It is now 2.30,

Lauren gets married tomorrow,

and we have no dress

and I don't even know where the groom is

to be able to go dress shopping with him.

I don't think I would trust him to go and pick it himself anyway.

Why should you make a compromise because Ant's been a stupid dick?

Unfortunately for Ant,

he's quickly turned from potential superhero

to ultimate zero.

Hello?

I'm afraid that the dress, on Lauren,

it just really wasn't what she envisioned herself in.

Carolyn breaks the news,

Lauren won't wear the dress.

What?

-Oh,

-BLEEP.

I don't know what we're going to do cos I haven't got the cash left.

I've got £650.

Well, we'll have to go in and find a dress for £650.

OK, all right, cool.

All right, bye.

BLEEP

It's a mistake that has caused a lot of heartache and grief

and we're running out of time, and my daughter gets married tomorrow,

and I can't sew.

-Now we're proper

-BLEEP.

The bridal shop won't give a refund cos that's not what they do,

so I've got to find a dress for £650,

which is going to be impossible...

-so I don't know what to do. I'm just completely

-BLEEP.

-BLEEP

-brilliant.

-BLEEP

-sake.

Taxi!

# If at first you don't succeed

# Dust yourself off and try again... #

Come here, you big doughnut.

-I'm so sorry.

-No, you haven't got to be. Absolutely not.

So, with just an hour before closing

and very little cash,

a fraught Anthony scours the racks.

They're all too blingy.

Right, that's fine, darling.

Yep, you're the one that's got to make the final decision.

-Do you like that one?

-Still, at least he has done this before.

Second time lucky?

-No, no, that's much too low.

-This one...

-I mean, are these able to come off?

-Of course.

-Yeah.

-Yes, of course.

It's nice. It's would show off the top and it's strapless as well.

So, yeah, I think that's got to be the one, really, isn't it?

So, now, do you have enough in your budget?

We can negotiate on that, don't panic.

OK, that'd be amazing.

With the last penny of his 12 grand budget

now blown on a second wedding dress,

Ant makes a sharp exit,

leaving Carolyn to look after Lauren.

I think...

..Bridezilla's going to be happy.

Oh, it's lovely.

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

-I really like it.

I feel relieved.

I didn't think I'd have a dress for tomorrow, or a wedding,

so I'm really, really relieved. I feel really happy.

They've done really well.

I love it. I think it's the nicest one I've seen.

GRAND, FILMIC MUSIC

After three weeks of waiting...

..the big day is finally here.

Ant hopes that putting on a unique, unforgettable wedding

will be the best way to prove himself to his bride and her family.

Which means our dynamic duo have a busy morning of hard graft ahead.

MUSIC: Battle Without Honour or Humanity by Tomoyasu Hotei.

They chose the reception venue for its potential.

But now, that need to be realised.

Which means transforming it into a comic book world.

Various superhero words and cityscapes,

just to add a bit of decoration to the table.

Ant's plans for his superhero wedding are coming together...

but there's one big decision he's starting to have doubts over.

I'm still a bit worried about the cave...

but it's a bit late now.

Yeah, a little bit late.

-I don't think Lauren is afraid of the underground...

-No.

-..so we should be all right.

-It's just the others.

-Otherwise, that would be a really big mistake I've made.

-Yeah, I know.

More so than the dress debacle.

At a hotel near the caves,

Lauren's also hard at work...

getting herself ready.

You can polish a turd...

-You can, you look radiant.

-..especially on its wedding day.

Obviously, I'm excited to get married,

but it's not really sunk in. So...

I don't know, I just feel a bit,

sort of, numb at the moment, really.

Now, every bride expects a bouquet,

but Lauren might not be expecting one quite like this.

-This is for you.

-Thank you.

You'll notice there's something a bit different about it.

Oh, my God.

-LAUREN'S MUM:

-What is it meant to be?

-It's Game Of Thrones comics.

-But you don't like Game Of Thrones.

-I love Game Of Thrones.

-Do you? Do you like comics?

-No.

Someone's going to come and do you hair in a minute.

-Someone to do my hair?

-Yeah.

-Oh, thank God.

-I'll see you in a little bit. Thank you.

-Yeah.

They're so hideous, aren't they?

It's a nice thought, but...

-I bet they cost more than your dress.

-It looks like a crow's skull.

Ant was hoping the alternative bouquet would prove a hit.

He was wrong.

The traditional route for a bridal bouquet

would normally be fresh flowers.

Ant wasn't to know that fresh flowers were better.

-What have I done?

-I don't know.

But you're going through with it now.

I've had three weeks of hell, so you're not getting out of it now.

At the caves, and after getting himself

suited, booted and button-holed...

-Is that right?

-I don't know.

-It seems right.

..Ant's ready to reveal to the guests

one of his wedding's biggest surprises.

There is a theme to our wedding.

And it's obviously my love of comic books and superheroes.

I have a selection of stuff for people to wear here.

It's all just about having fun

and making sure that Lauren has a special day. Thank you.

APPLAUSE

FILMIC MUSIC PLAYS

Faster than a speeding bullet,

all the guests make a grab for the gear.

Super!

Both young...

and young at heart...

Everyone, we're going to make our way over to the cave now.

..are getting into character,

playing along with the theme...

..even when it comes to crawling into Anthony's underground lair.

FILMIC MUSIC BUILDS TO CRESCENDO

WATER DRIPS

Unaware of what's unfolding at the caves,

the bridal party get their first look at the star attraction.

THEY CHANT: Come on, Lauren! Come on, Lauren!

It's also Lauren's first chance to see

the bridesmaids dresses her man picked.

Oh, my God. You look so good.

I can't get up the stairs.

Oh, you look lovely. You look amazing.

It took Ant two goes to pick Lauren's dress,

and judging by the tears, he got it right the second time round.

-You look ridiculously amazing.

-Thank you.

I'm so excited now.

Everyone looks amazing.

He did so well.

The time has come for Lauren to head to her wedding.

Oh, my God.

Even with the support of dad, Dave, and stepdad, Colin,

Lauren's nerves are kicking in.

As she passes a sign for Wookey

Lauren begins to suspect the worst.

How much of a hole is Wookey Hole?

Have you ever been in Wookey Hole?

I don't like dark, I don't like small spaces, I don't like nature.

Put that to one side, if Ant's there,

then it all makes it fine, doesn't it? Eh?

Yeah, because I could kill him.

As they've not been together for long,

Anthony doesn't know his bride

has a fear of being underground,

but he's just learned that Lauren's mum has a full-on phobia.

It's going to be interesting to see if she makes it down to the cave,

cos I know, obviously, it's very important to Lauren

that her mum is here with her.

So, hopefully she can do it, just for today, and come down.

I'll have to apologise profusely afterwards because I didn't know.

Thank you.

What has he done?

Lauren must face her fear if she's going to marry Ant.

While the anxious bride is escorted to the front entrance,

Carolyn is taken to a less claustrophobic alternative.

No, no, no.

No, there's no way I can do that.

There's just no way I could start walking into a...

a tunnel which was enclosed, with no windows,

knowing that I was going to be going deeper into a mountain.

It's a phobia and it is really quite unpleasant and, today,

it's become quite a nuisance because...

I'm going to be missing my daughter's wedding.

Unaware her mum has not made it inside,

Lauren's reached the steps that will take her deep underground.

I'm quite claustrophobic,

so this wouldn't be my number one destination for a wedding.

I've no idea what I am about to walk into,

but I'm here now and I know Ant's just in there

so I just want to get in there now.

SHE WHIMPERS

MUSIC: You're The One That I Want by Lo-Fang

# I've got chills

# They're multiplying... #

Oh, please don't fall!

After three weeks apart, it all comes down to this moment.

Even fear can't stop this Wonder Woman

from getting to her Superman.

MUSIC: Hero by Enrique Iglesias

# I can be your hero, baby

# I can kiss away the pain... #

I love you so much.

Are you all right?

You're an idiot.

I know, I'm sorry.

Now, Ant, could you please read the vows that you have written?

Lauren, when we first met,

I never imagined that I would be stood in front of you here, now.

I know today might not have been what you expected...

LAUGHTER

Really?!

..but I wanted you to remember it for the rest of your life.

Every day we have together just makes me realise

how lucky I am to have you and I can't wait for you to be my wife.

Anthony, you are my best friend and my partner in crime.

You're my hero and I'm so proud to be your sidekick.

I love you more than words can convey and I can't wait to

start a new adventure together as husband and wife.

With this ring, I wed you and pledge you my love, now and forever.

You are now husband and wife.

You may kiss the bride.

CHEERING

-To the bar.

-LAUGHTER

Bye, everyone.

Can you hold my dress?

Thank you.

This has been the hardest three weeks of my life.

I just want to go home.

Yeah. I just want to be in our own bed...

with my wife.

But...

-Yeah, I know.

-My husband.

But, no, now we're together,

the last three weeks hasn't mattered at all.

Ant took a big risk with his comic book wedding,

but when it mattered, everything's come good.

Even mum, Carolyn, can forgive her new son-in-law.

-Hiya.

-Carolyn, I'm so sorry. I didn't know.

Don't be silly. You didn't know. Nobody knew.

With the blessings complete,

Ant has just one final surprise for his bride.

Will his transformation of the reception venue

prove once and for all, he's her hero?

Oh, wow!

Aww.

It's very Ant and it's lovely.

He's obviously worked very hard on it, so...

-He's put a lot of thought into it. It looks amazing.

-It's really good.

What do you think?

It's lovely, dear.

So, it's mission accomplished for superhero, Ant.

He's pulled off the unforgettable, unusual

and unconventional wedding he hoped for.

APPLAUSE

So, it turns out that planning a wedding in three weeks

is really difficult but I just, again,

want to thank everyone for coming

and, again, want to tell Lauren how beautiful

she looks in the dress that I chose yesterday.

LAUGHTER

Thank you so much and just enjoy the rest of your night.

CHEERING

If someone had said to me,

"You're going to get married in a cave,"

I would be struck down with horror, I think,

but it was done really lovely.

It was really, really pretty. It was a really good job.

Apart from the fact that your mum didn't come into the cave...

Apart from that, everything went swimmingly.

'Considering that, they could have done worse.

'A lot worse.'

We could have stayed in the cave.

It could have gone in any direction

and...the guys have kind of pulled it out of the bag.

Can you actually drink this?

-No, don't drink it.

-HE LAUGHS

Ant did take a bit of a gamble, I think, but I think he pulled it off.

Everyone's having fun, everyone's enjoying themselves,

and that's the main thing.

Such a good day.

I've said goodbye and good luck, Ant,

because I've washed my hands with her and handed her over.

So, yes, it's been a super day

and she's gone now, so...

brilliant.

-And two more to go!

-Yeah.

I have learnt over the past three weeks that

I can't be without Lauren for more than a day.

The fact that I know that Lauren needs me

makes me feel amazing.

The fact that there's someone there that

wants me to be around feels great and

I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with Lauren.

So, it now gives me the greatest pleasure

to pronounce you to be husband and wife.

CHEERING

Two days later, the couple were legally married.

Above ground and with Mum in attendance.

Next time...

I'll miss you.

..laid-back groom, Raphael,

wants not one, but two huge weddings...

I love it. There's so much to work with. It's a blank canvas.

..when all his bride, Ola, wants

is a small, intimate affair.

People that I really know.

Not your mum's cousin's auntie's sister's...

But with 48 hours to the big day and still no church...

Quitting and it not getting done is not an option.

..will his big Nigerian dream turn into a nightmare?

It looks like My Big Fat Nigerian Wedding.