The couple were on “cloud nine” after tying the knot at Castlefield Rooms in the city centre
14:01, 10 May 2025Updated 14:02, 10 May 2025
The couple got married at Manchester’s cool Castlefield Rooms(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)
Isabel Hodgins has shared her ‘perfect’ Manchester city centre wedding with her ‘soul-mate’ husband. Joined by some co-star guests, Isabel even had a bridesmaid from the Dales.
Despite staring in a Yorkshire-based soap since she was just 12 years old, Isabel admitted that Manchester was the only place for her to tie the knot, holding the ceremony at the cool Castlefield Rooms in April.
“Some of our first dates were in town,” Isabel told the Mirror. “And we like to run there, so I think it was nice that we kept it there.”
The soap star married teacher Adam Whitehead in front of her nearest and dearest, including many of the stars of the ITV show.
“I know I’m an actor but I don’t like being the centre of attention,” admits Isabel.
The couple got engaged in November 2023(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)
But while she confesses to not enjoying the wedding planning process as much as she’d hoped, the same can’t be said for the day itself.
“A wedding’s quite stressful, so even before it I was over it,” she laughs. “Then the day came and I was like, we’ll just go with the flow. It was perfect. I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed it, how full my heart was. It was just brilliant.”
The couple couldn’t have wished for nicer weather, with the bride wearing a backless dress with a sweetheart neckline from Australian designer Sassi Holford in the April sun.
Isabel says her wedding was ‘perfect'(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)
Isabel explains, “At first, I was like, ‘Why am I looking at sleeveless dresses for an April wedding? What an idiot.’ But we struck gold with the weather.
“I’m only 5ft 2in and a half and I feel like wedding dresses are made for tall ladies.
“I thought it would be more fun than it was. The dresses were beautiful, but not on me, so I quickly realised it needed to be plain because otherwise it’s the dress wearing me, not me wearing the dress. And whenever I tried a veil, I felt like I was playing dress-up.”
Isabel got ready with the help of her three bridesmaids(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)
The actor admits she felt good for keeping things simple. “I felt beautiful in it, which is all you want,” she told the Mirror.
Helped by her bridesmaids, Emmerdale co-star Eden Taylor Draper and school pal Shannon Moran, as well as her mum, Isabel says she just about managed to keep her emotions in check while getting ready.
“My dad came up, looked me up and down and just said, ‘Wow.’ If he’d started saying nice things, he would have sent me over the edge.”
She opted for a chic satin dress and no veil(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)
But while Isabel managed to keep things together on the big day, the same can’t be said for her high-school teacher husband when he saw her walking down the aisle.
“It’s funny, because I made a joke before the wedding,” she explains. “The whole time we’ve been together, Adam’s cried once. He’s not an emotional person. And I was like, ‘If you don’t cry when I walk down that aisle, how is that going to make me feel?’ But he did, he got teary.”
Isabel says walking down the aisle to Perfect For Me by Bradley Marshall in front of 63 guests was a magical moment. “It was so special,” she beams. “There was so much light coming into the room, and he looked so handsome. I was too happy to be emotional. It was like, ‘There he is, I can’t to be his wife.’”
The couple made their vows in front of 63 friends and family
And Adam was bowled over by his beautiful bride.
“She looked incredible,” he says. “She knows I love it when she has her hair up, so the first thing I said to her when she got down the aisle was, ‘I like your hair.’ We go to the gym together every day, so I had an inkling she’d be revealing her back.”
Adam even admits to making a blunder on the big day, with nerves getting the better of him. “I forgot my name during the vows,” he laughs.
“That was the worst part, the vows. I was so nervous. I’m not a big fan of public speaking. I’m a teacher and do it front of kids, but when it’s in front of people your age, it’s different. I was sweating.”
“I’ve never seen him like that before,” says Isabel. “I said, ‘You’ve messed up now so that’s fine, you’ve got it out your system.’”
With the vows out of the way, the pair could relax. They walked out as man and wife to Adam’s favourite band Coldplay’s hit A Sky Full Of Stars.
Isabel’s co-stars including Jeff Hordley (Cain Dingle) and Zoe Henry (Rhona) were on the guestlist(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)
Some photos around Manchester followed and then it was back to the venue to enjoy a slap-up meal of mini beef pie and peas, chicken wrapped in parma ham and sticky toffee pudding.
When it came to doing the speeches, Adam, his best man and Isabel’s dad Graham all took it in turns – but the bride insisted on speaking herself too.
“It bothers me that it’s just the men, so I was like, ‘I’ll absolutely be speaking,’” says Isabel. And Adam was very supportive of the decision. “I was proud she wanted to do her own speech,” he says. “Power to the women.”
Isabel admits writing it was stressful, only having written it the night before the big day – but claims saying it was a breeze. She relived the moment she made the first move on Adam two and a half years earlier at the gym – and how she has her dad to thank for playing his part.
“I had a crush on Adam at the gym,” she explains. “I thought he was younger than me, which was an issue. I train with my dad and I said I wanted to know how old he was. My dad went over and asked him!”
The wedding was a star-studded affair – and a perfect day for the happy couple(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)
“Her dad was her wingman,” Adam laughs. “I said that in my speech. He came up to me on that Monday morning and said, ‘How old are you?’ And when I answered he said ‘Thanks’ and walked off. There was no small talk. The day after, Isabel requested to follow me on Instagram and it started to make sense.”
The pair met when Adam was 25 and Isabel was 28. They got engaged in November 2023, when they were 28 and 31 – the age gap no longer an issue. “At the start I made such a fuss about it,” recalls Isabel. “He thought I was going to break up with him over it! Now we’re married and it’s a non issue.”
They later discovered they went to the same school. “We were born in the same hospital, went to the same school, went to the same gym,” said Adam. “We have so much in common.”
Isabel says she and Adam are like ‘a nana and granddad’ in young people’s bodies(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)
Isabel and Adam have found they are kindred spirits, bonding over their obsession with the gym.
“Basically me and Adam are like a nana and a granddad trapped in younger bodies,” giggles Isabel. “His best man was saying in his speech, ‘How do I plan a stag do for somebody who doesn’t drink and who goes to bed at 7.30? Which we do, because we get up at 4.30 to go to the gym every day.’
“And then he said, ‘I didn’t feel that bad because Isabel’s hen do was pottery painting.’ We’re two old souls! Every morning we do an hour session at the gym and then go to work.”
Isabel hasn’t drunk alcohol in five years, and Adam decided to ditch booze after meeting her.
“It’s the best gift I could have given myself, as I remembered everything from the wedding,” says Isabel. But the absence of alcohol didn’t mean the pair weren’t up on the dance floor. Their first dance was the orchestral version of I Could Get Used To This by Becky Hill, after which they continued partying until midnight.
The wedding disco went on until the small hours(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)
“I was quite an antisocial bride,” admits Isabel. “Once the evening kicked off, you could not get me off the dance floor. I took my heels off. I was over being poised and looking like little lady bride.”
“I’ve never been one for dancing, especially since not drinking, but I’ve never danced so much,” Adam agrees. “We wanted a chilled but fun wedding and we got exactly that. I had that walking on cloud nine feeling, like you don’t want to stop.”
They were joined on the dance floor by Emmerdale pals Danny Miller, Mark Jordon, Laura Norton, Jeff Hordley and Zoë Henry, and Isabel says her co-stars are like family to her after almost 19 years in the Dales.
“I’ve known them for so long, Laura’s like a sister to me. Eden was my bridesmaid. They’re just all such special, beautiful people. I said in my speech that me and Adam hadn’t been going out for very long and I was telling Zoë about him and she was like, ‘I’ve got a feeling you’re going to marry this man.’ She just knew.”
Isabel says she knew Adam was the man she was going to marry(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)
Secondary school PE teacher Adam says he was oblivious to Isabel’s day job when they first crossed paths in the gym.
“I recognised her face but didn’t know where from,” he says. “When she followed me, I realised she was from Emmerdale. I went to the Soap Awards with her and only then appreciated how big she is. I’m proud, but she hates watching herself so we don’t watch it.”
After a two-night mini-moon to Saltmoore just outside Whitby – a touching surprise from her Emmerdale wedding guests – Isabel was back to work on set the following day. “It was full-on,” she admits.
She and Adam have plans for a big California trip in the summer, and they’re already thinking further ahead than that, with dreams of starting a family. “If that happens, amazing. If it doesn’t, I’ll say that’s fine too, but I won’t really mean it,” laughs Isabel. “My sister had two toddlers during lockdown. I moved in with them. I just loved it. I think I’m ready to have that myself now.”
Adam agrees, “Having a family is our next step. I’m looking forward to what the future brings.”