{"id":90240,"date":"2025-05-10T14:17:18","date_gmt":"2025-05-10T14:17:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/90240\/"},"modified":"2025-05-10T14:17:18","modified_gmt":"2025-05-10T14:17:18","slug":"inside-emmerdale-star-isabel-hodgins-perfect-manchester-wedding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/90240\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside Emmerdale star Isabel Hodgins’ ‘perfect’ Manchester wedding"},"content":{"rendered":"

The couple were on “cloud nine” after tying the knot at Castlefield Rooms in the city centre<\/p>\n

14:01, 10 May 2025Updated 14:02, 10 May 2025<\/p>\n

The couple got married at Manchester’s cool Castlefield Rooms(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of our first dates were in town,\u201d Isabel told the Mirror<\/a>. \u201cAnd we like to run there, so I think it was nice that we kept it there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The soap star married teacher Adam Whitehead in front of her nearest and dearest, including many of the stars of the ITV show.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know I\u2019m an actor but I don\u2019t like being the centre of attention,\u201d admits Isabel.<\/p>\n

The couple got engaged in November 2023(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)<\/p>\n

But while she confesses to not enjoying the wedding planning process as much as she\u2019d hoped, the same can\u2019t be said for the day itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cA wedding\u2019s quite stressful, so even before it I was over it,\u201d she laughs. \u201cThen the day came and I was like, we\u2019ll just go with the flow. It was perfect. I couldn\u2019t believe how much I enjoyed it, how full my heart was. It was just brilliant.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple couldn’t have wished for nicer weather<\/a>, with the bride wearing a backless dress with a sweetheart neckline from Australian designer Sassi Holford<\/a> in the April sun.<\/p>\n

Isabel says her wedding was ‘perfect'(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)<\/p>\n

Isabel explains, \u201cAt first, I was like, \u2018Why am I looking at sleeveless dresses for an April wedding? What an idiot.\u2019 But we struck gold with the weather.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m only 5ft 2in and a half and I feel like wedding dresses are made for tall ladies.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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\u2019s the dress wearing me, not me wearing the dress. And whenever I tried a veil, I felt like I was playing dress-up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Isabel got ready with the help of her three bridesmaids(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)<\/p>\n

The actor admits she felt good for keeping things simple. \u201cI felt beautiful in it, which is all you want,\u201d she told the Mirror.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad came up, looked me up and down and just said, \u2018Wow.\u2019 If he\u2019d started saying nice things, he would have sent me over the edge.\u201d<\/p>\n

She opted for a chic satin dress and no veil(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny, because I made a joke before the wedding,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe whole time we\u2019ve been together, Adam\u2019s cried once. He\u2019s not an emotional person. And I was like, \u2018If you don\u2019t cry when I walk down that aisle, how is that going to make me feel?\u2019 But he did, he got teary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Isabel says walking down the aisle to Perfect For Me by Bradley Marshall in front of 63 guests was a magical moment. \u201cIt was so special,\u201d 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, \u2018There he is, I can\u2019t to be his wife.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple made their vows in front of 63 friends and family<\/p>\n

And Adam was bowled over by his beautiful bride.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe looked incredible,\u201d he says. \u201cShe 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, \u2018I like your hair.\u2019 We go to the gym together every day, so I had an inkling she\u2019d be revealing her back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam even admits to making a blunder on the big day, with nerves getting the better of him. \u201cI forgot my name during the vows,\u201d he laughs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was the worst part, the vows. I was so nervous. I\u2019m not a big fan of public speaking. I\u2019m a teacher and do it front of kids, but when it\u2019s in front of people your age, it\u2019s different. I was sweating.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never seen him like that before,\u201d says Isabel. \u201cI said, \u2018You\u2019ve messed up now so that\u2019s fine, you\u2019ve got it out your system.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

With the vows out of the way, the pair could relax. They walked out as man and wife to Adam\u2019s favourite band Coldplay\u2019s hit A Sky Full Of Stars.<\/p>\n

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)<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

When it came to doing the speeches, Adam, his best man and Isabel\u2019s dad Graham all took it in turns – but the bride insisted on speaking herself too.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt bothers me that it\u2019s just the men, so I was like, \u2018I\u2019ll absolutely be speaking,\u2019\u201d says Isabel. And Adam was very supportive of the decision. \u201cI was proud she wanted to do her own speech,\u201d he says. \u201cPower to the women.\u201d<\/p>\n

Isabel admits writing it was stressful, only having written it the night before the big day \u2013 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 \u2013 and how she has her dad to thank for playing his part.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a crush on Adam at the gym,\u201d she explains. \u201cI 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!\u201d<\/p>\n

The wedding was a star-studded affair – and a perfect day for the happy couple(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)<\/p>\n

\u201cHer dad was her wingman,\u201d Adam laughs. \u201cI said that in my speech. He came up to me on that Monday morning and said, \u2018How old are you?\u2019 And when I answered he said \u2018Thanks\u2019 and walked off. There was no small talk. The day after, Isabel requested to follow me on Instagram and it started to make sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pair met when Adam was 25 and Isabel was 28. They got engaged in November 2023, when they were 28 and 31 \u2013 the age gap no longer an issue. \u201cAt the start I made such a fuss about it,\u201d recalls Isabel. \u201cHe thought I was going to break up with him over it! Now we\u2019re married and it\u2019s a non issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

They later discovered they went to the same school. \u201cWe were born in the same hospital, went to the same school, went to the same gym,\u201d said Adam. \u201cWe have so much in common.\u201d<\/p>\n

Isabel says she and Adam are like ‘a nana and granddad’ in young people’s bodies(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)<\/p>\n

Isabel and Adam have found they are kindred spirits, bonding over their obsession with the gym.<\/p>\n

\u201cBasically me and Adam are like a nana and a granddad trapped in younger bodies,\u201d giggles Isabel. \u201cHis best man was saying in his speech, \u2018How do I plan a stag do for somebody who doesn\u2019t 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.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then he said, \u2018I didn\u2019t feel that bad because Isabel\u2019s hen do was pottery painting.\u2019 We\u2019re two old souls! Every morning we do an hour session at the gym and then go to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Isabel hasn\u2019t drunk alcohol in five years, and Adam decided to ditch booze after meeting her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the best gift I could have given myself, as I remembered everything from the wedding,\u201d says Isabel. But the absence of alcohol didn\u2019t mean the pair weren\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

The wedding disco went on until the small hours(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)<\/p>\n

\u201cI was quite an antisocial bride,” admits Isabel. \u201cOnce 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never been one for dancing, especially since not drinking, but I\u2019ve never danced so much,\u201d Adam agrees. \u201cWe wanted a chilled but fun wedding and we got exactly that. I had that walking on cloud nine feeling, like you don\u2019t want to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were joined on the dance floor by Emmerdale pals Danny Miller, Mark Jordon, Laura Norton<\/a>, Jeff Hordley<\/a> and Zo\u00eb Henry, and Isabel says her co-stars are like family to her after almost 19 years in the Dales.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve known them for so long, Laura\u2019s like a sister to me. Eden was my bridesmaid. They\u2019re just all such special, beautiful people. I said in my speech that me and Adam hadn\u2019t been going out for very long and I was telling Zo\u00eb about him and she was like, \u2018I\u2019ve got a feeling you\u2019re going to marry this man.\u2019 She just knew.\u201d<\/p>\n

Isabel says she knew Adam was the man she was going to marry(Image: The Bride Tribe Photography by Louise Cuppello)<\/p>\n

Secondary school PE teacher Adam says he was oblivious to Isabel\u2019s day job when they first crossed paths in the gym.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recognised her face but didn\u2019t know where from,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen 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\u2019m proud, but she hates watching herself so we don\u2019t watch it.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a two-night mini-moon to Saltmoore just outside Whitby \u2013 a touching surprise from her Emmerdale wedding guests \u2013 Isabel was back to work on set the following day. \u201cIt was full-on,\u201d she admits.<\/p>\n

She and Adam have plans for a big California trip in the summer, and they\u2019re already thinking further ahead than that, with dreams of starting a family. \u201cIf that happens, amazing. If it doesn\u2019t, I\u2019ll say that\u2019s fine too, but I won\u2019t really mean it,\u201d laughs Isabel. \u201cMy sister had two toddlers during lockdown. I moved in with them. I just loved it. I think I\u2019m ready to have that myself now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam agrees, \u201cHaving a family is our next step. I\u2019m looking forward to what the future brings.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The couple were on “cloud nine” after tying the knot at Castlefield Rooms in the city centre 14:01,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":90241,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8813],"tags":[748,959,393,4884,2465,455,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-90240","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manchester","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-emmerdale","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-manchester","13":"tag-real-life","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114483970322254129","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90240"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90240\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}