STARS of the television soap Emmerdale swapped their wellies and wax jackets for bow ties and party dresses as they attended a celebrity wedding in East Anglia.

STARS of the television soap Emmerdale swapped their wellies and wax jackets for bow ties and party dresses as they attended a celebrity wedding in East Anglia.

Jeff Hordley, who plays the ITV soap's bad boy Cain Dingle, wed his long-term partner and actress Zoe Henry at the medieval Hedingham Castle, near Sudbury, on Sunday afternoon, before going on to celebrate the marriage at the prestigious Swan Hotel in Lavenham.

The party, which included several members of the Emmerdale cast, started arriving in Lavenham on Friday night.

After Sunday's wedding the cast members and other guests celebrated into the early hours of yesterday morning at the hotel bar.

Most of the famous guests had left the hotel by yesterday afternoon, but the EADT managed to talk to two of the soap's favourite stars - Emma Atkins, who plays Charity Tate, and her screen daughter Debbie, played by Charley Webb - as they left the premises.

Miss Atkins said: “We arrived at the hotel on Sunday night after Jeff and Zoe's wedding and we have enjoyed ourselves. The hotel was lovely and Lavenham is really beautiful, we had a great time.”

Her screen daughter, Miss Webb, said: “The hotel is gorgeous and everything went really well, everybody came for the wedding and we have enjoyed our stay in East Anglia.”

The Swan's manager Amanda Mortimer said: “The party booked the hotel months ago and while I don't want to talk about individuals because of confidentiality I can confirm some of the Emmerdale cast did stay here.

“They were made very welcome, just like all of our guests, and it is a compliment to the Swan and Lavenham that they chose to come here.”

Other Emmerdale stars who stayed in East Anglia over the weekend included Dominic Brunt who plays vet Paddy Kirk, Kelvin Fletcher who plays Andy Sugden, Steve Halliwell who plays Zak Dingle, James Hooton who plays Sam Dingle, Mark Charnock who plays Marlon Dingle, Charlotte Bellamy who plays dizzy cleaner Laurel Potts and Freya Copeland, who plays village policewoman Angie Reynolds who was recently killed in a car accident involving Cain Dingle.

It is believed the reason the couple chose Hedingham Castle is because the bride and some of the Emmerdale actors live in the Saffron Walden area.

A spokesman for Hedingham Castle said: “The wedding of Jeff Hordley and Zoe Henry was held here at 3pm on Sunday. There was a good crowd and the guests and cast members were extremely friendly, a good time was had by all and our staff certainly enjoyed themselves.”