LOVE'S YOUNG DREAM

Made in Chelsea's Sam Vanderpump and Alice Yaxley look to the future as they tie the knot in an intimate ceremony in front of family and friends

- INTERVIEW: LAURA BENJAMIN

Standing side by side after being declared husband and wife, Sam Vanderpump and Alice Yaxley are the epitome of married bliss.

The newlyweds, stars of the Channel 4 show Made in Chelsea, married in an intimate ceremony in front of 30 guests at the Kensington and Chelsea Register Office last week - and here, they share their exquisite photo album exclusively with HELLO!.

“Our wedding was amazing; it was better than either of us imagined,” says model Alice, 24, who is seven months pregnant with the couple’s first child. “It was perfect, with all the people I love. I felt the happiest I've ever felt.”

Sam, 28, adds: “Everything went off without a hitch. The whole wedding was fantastic and it was the perfect start to our marriage. I’m extremely happy and haven't stopped smiling.”

The occasion was even more joyful considering their situation at this time last year. Sam, who runs a currency business, was dangerously ill; he spent time in hospital after contracting flu, which brought on liver and kidney failure and sepsis.

More recently, he was diagnosed with irreversible end-stage liver disease, with his life expectancy estimated to be four to five years without a transplant, for which he is now on a waiting list.

“I was struggling emotionally over the past few weeks with everything going on with my transplant, and I was worried it would dampen my spirits for the wedding,” Sam says. “But I've been so over-the-moon happy for the past few days.”

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