AS one Bolton church celebrated a wedding "first" at the weekend, another church staged its last ceremony.

St John's Evangelist Church, Breightmet, hosted the wedding of Gareth Edwards and Eloise Aldred, in the first ceremony in the five year-old side chapel.

Meanwhile, Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church at Hindsford, Atherton, staged the wedding of Steve Middleham and Tanya Williams, marking the closure of the picturesque 140 year-old Tyldesley Road church.

St John's has always been able to host weddings, but has not done so for seven years as there have simply been no bookings.

Twenty-two year old Eloise and Gareth, aged 23, chose to marry at the Brodick Drive church as Gareth is a member of the congregation.

Eloise's mother Lesley said: "It was wonderful for them to be the first couple to marry at the church for such a long time.

"We had a fabulous weekend and the ceremony was lovely. Words cannot describe how happy we all were."

The Rev Greg Yerbury at St John's said: "It was nice to host the wedding at the church. We have simply had no bookings in recent years as people tend to find other churches more aesthetically pleasing."

Former swimmer Tanya Williams, aged 30, chose Sacred Heart at Hindsford as the venue as she attended both the church and the school as a youngster.

The future of the church, which opened in 1869, has been in the balance for several years.

Dwindling congregations and costly building repairs, plus the difficulties of having two priests responsible for five parishes, have brought about the closure.

Sacred Heart resulted from a growing Catholic movement in the Tyldesley and Atherton area. It was the first in the Diocese of Liverpool to be honoured with being dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was also the first Diocesan Church built in the Leigh Deanery.

Tanya's father Brian said: "It's a real shame that the church is closing. We're quite proud that Tanya was the last person to be married there.

"All my five children attended the school and church, and it will be sadly missed by us and a great number of other people."

Although Sacred Heart church is closing, there remains a recognised church community, with a thriving school and parish centre.

A spokesperson for the Liverpool Catholic Diocese said that "a general decline" in the congregation had affected the church badly and its income had dropped.

The building is expected to be sold.