But for Claire Shields it felt almost unreal - as the wedding day only took place because groom Jamie had given her a kidney and saved her life. Eighteen months previously, Jamie had risked everything to donate a kidney after Claire was struck down by a sepsis infection. The transplant turned out to be the greatest wedding gift she could imagine.
I was overwhelmed when Jamie offered to give me one of his kidneys. He was determined that he wanted to be the one who saved me
Claire Shields
Claire, 27, from Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, said: "When I walked down the aisle and saw Jamie smile at me, I knew this day had only been possible because of him.
"I was only able to walk down the aisle to be his bride because of his amazing gift to me." Claire had been left fighting for her life just eight weeks after the couple had met in March 2015.
She said: "I'd been poorly for about three weeks beforehand, but I'd thought it was just a chest infection. I had no idea that it had developed into sepsis.
"I was so poorly that I didn't even recognise anyone, including Jamie. The nurses had asked him to go to my bedside to see if he could prompt me to recognise him. But I had no idea who he was."
Claire's organs were failing and doctors gave her a 50 per cent
