It is usually a quick case of carrying the wife over the threshold, but for one Bristol groom it meant a hike over the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

When Jason Vaughan, 33, proposed to Lithuanian-born Julija Skudnaja, 24, he said he wanted to embrace as much of her culture as possible.

Little did he know this would mean an ancient wedding tradition that would see him carrying his 6ft-tall new bride 414 metres over the Avon Gorge.

The couple, who live in St George, Redfield, were married in St Mary Redcliffe Church on Saturday, but as part of wedding traditions the groom is required to carry his bride over a bridge before they can be allowed into the wedding reception.

To the amusement of onlookers, the wedding party stopped traffic as Mr Vaughan and his best man carried the bridal party across the bridge.

The new Mrs Vaughan, who works in Cabot Circus, said: "I met Jason when I was living in London and I came to Bristol for a party. Within two weeks I had given up my flat and we had moved in together and that was about two years ago.

"I told him about the Lithuanian traditions, there are lots of them and some are really complicated. I thought one involved seven bridges, which would have been crazy, but we checked and it is just one.

"Jason is born and bred in Bristol but he said he wanted to keep the tradition and we decided that after exchanging vows he would carry me over the suspension bridge.

"This is the first and hopefully only time we will get married and so this does help to make it even more special."