ATHELHAMPTON House was the setting for a Dorchester couple’s wedding reception.

Samantha Royle, 26, and Adam Gough, 28, tied the knot at St Mary the Virgin Church in Sturminster Marshall and had their reception at Athelhampton House.

The couple were surrounded by 80 family and friends for the big day.

The couple said the day was ‘amazing’ and gave a big thank you to their parents for their help.

The bride said: “It was absolutely lovely, it really was fantastic.”

She added: “We would like to thank both of our parents. Without them we wouldn’t have had the amazing day we had.”

The couple are both primary school teachers and met while on teacher training. Mr Gough popped the question on Christmas Day 2010.

The bride said: “He made lots of clues that I had to follow. I didn’t know what was at the end. I had to open envelopes and follow the clues to the ring.

“It was really sweet.”

They spent their honeymoon in New York.

Mrs Gough said it felt amazing to be married and it was lovely to be called by her new name by her class when she went back to school.

She said: “It feels amazing. People say it doesn’t change anything but it does.”

She added: “I remember the first time I came back after the honeymoon and this little boy in my class came in and said: ‘Good morning Mrs Gough’.

“It made me smile.”