TALK about romantic. Sandra Lee, of the New Inn at Cropton,

had a dream wedding after a love-at-first-sight whirlwind romance.

When she walked down the candlelit aisle at Cropton parish church she was marrying the sweetheart she met just five months earlier.

Nick Robson proposed to Sandra at a very romantic candlelit dinner in Corfu two months after their first meeting.

Whatever is in the air must be catching because Sandra's three sons are now engaged. So is her mother, Betty Harding of Pickering, aged 75.

The Rev Canon Gerald Pearce, who married Sandra and Nick, said the couple were setting a good example to the family.

"We were all engaged, but we were the first ones to set the date," said Sandra.

Marriage for Sandra means she is going to hand over the running of the pub and prize-winning brewery to son Philip Lee (engaged to Helen).

She plans to spend time with her new husband away from the business.

"I'll miss some aspects of the hurly burly of the business, but there is so much I want to do," she said.

Sandra believes she may have been the first person to get married in a church with the priest conducting a specially-tailored civil service. Canon Pearce is also a registrar. After the civil ceremony, he led a church blessing.

Sandra's granddaughter, 11-year-old Georgina Lee-Forrester, was the bridesmaid and best man was John Breffitt.

"The setting was glorious," said Sandra. "It was all in candlelight. As we walked out of the church, the driveway was lit by candles and we had an informal reception at the New Inn by candlelight."

The honeymoon was equally romantic. "We spent three days in an 11th century Scottish castle," said Sandra. "Traquair House is in the Scottish Borders. It actually has its own brewery. We didn't try the beer, though, we drank champagne."

Updated: 10:36 Thursday, January 03, 2002