Gypsy Wedding bride causes fire hazard

A bride on 'Big Fat Gypsy Weddings' has to have a fire extinguisher on stand-by during her ceremony in case her dress explodes.

Non-traveller Sam, 17, is set to tie the knot with 20-year-old gypsy Patrick and she is so determined to make sure she is accepted by his friends and family, she orders a 196lbs dress, which is fitted with fairy lights and robotic butterflies that flap their wings.

The dress - which was made by Thelma in her shop in Liverpool - has so many electric wires hidden inside that Thelma is terrified it could catch alight.

She says of the pink gown: "We're relieved that all the lights work but I am still worried about the fire issue so we've decided we will take a little fire extinguisher with us just in case. All that combustion, it could just go up in flames."

Sam arrives at the church in a Cinderella-style carriage - similar to the one Katie Price used when she married Peter Andre in 2005 - and the wedding is a huge event for the travellers because they don't like allowing non-travellers, known as "gorgers", into their community.

Patrick's cousin Elycia says of gorgers: "They've got no respect for whoever's around them or nothing."

'Big Fat Gypsy Weddings' is on Channel 4 on Tuesday (25.01.11) at 9pm.