Brides-to-be flocked to Dunston Hall yesterday for a wedding show offering all they need to plan their big day.

Organisers saw around 1,500 couples and their families walk through the doors, and said it was the biggest and best show held at the venue to date.

Couples were greeted with 98 exhibitors offering all kinds of expert advice, from bridalwear to transport, which included a red double-decker bus and a horse-drawn carriage, to show couples how they can travel in style on their big day.

The record number of exhibitors spreading across 11 areas inside and outside the hotel also included florists, wedding planners, venue hosts, jewellers, photographers, beauty experts, toastmasters and caterers.

Dereham couple Leanne Power, 22, and Sam Cryan, 23, got engaged in February this year on a weekend away, and plan to tie the knot in August 2014 at Dunston Hall.

Miss Power, a teacher, said she and her fianc� came to their first show to get ideas for their big day.

She said: 'We have really managed to compare prices and see what different people have to offer us – it's lots of research really.'

As well as couples in attendance, mothers and daughters were also looking at other wedding components such as the cake, marquee, music, menswear, honeymoon, entertainers, stationery and much more.

Catherine Landin, 23, from Norwich city centre brought her mother, Sally Goffin, from Great Yarmouth to help her plan for her wedding in May 2014.

Miss Landin, who works in IT, was proposed to by her fianc� on a slideshow on his iPad.

Her mother, Mrs Goffin, who works in a doctor's surgery, said they hadn't found the day at the hotel stressful, and added that they had got 'lots of quirky ideas'.

The Ven Jan McFarlane, the Archdeacon of Norwich, was talking to couples on the Church of England exhibiting stand about marrying in the church.

She said: 'Some people can think that if they are not a member of a church then they can't get married in one, but that's not the case, and as a church, we want to marry them.'

The show was organised by the Norwich Evening News's sister paper, the Eastern Daily Press.

Editor-in-chief, Nigel Pickover, said: 'I'm thrilled this was a record-breaker and that we were part of a day brides will remember for a long time ahead. Well done to all members of the team for putting in so much effort.'

Steve Maddams, from the EDP wedding show team, said he was delighted with the numbers seen at the show.

He said: 'We are so pleased that so many brides-to-be came with their families to the EDP show to make plans for one of the biggest days of their lives.

'The atmosphere at Dunston was brilliant, and we are really excited to do it all again at the The Assembly House in a couple of months time.'