MEMBERS of a church where the minister is set to tie the knot have plenty to be thankful for.

The congregation at Dunham Road Unitarian Chapel, Altrincham, and Queens Road Unitarian Free Church, Urmston is full of joy after learning that their minister for 10 years, Rev Danny Crosby, 48, is to marry independent celebrant Sue Blackshaw, 49, at the Altrincham chapel on March 21 at 3pm.

The couple met three-and-a-half years ago through a friend of their friends, Bill and Bob

During a holiday in Israel last February, Danny popped the question in Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee.

At the water’s edge, he said: “Susan Blackshaw, when things are less complicated, will you marry me?”

They had a lot of family problems at the time and Sue was getting divorced.

All the same, she said: “yes”.

They will be married by the Rev John Midgeley, a former minister of the Trafford churches.

Sue will be led down the aisle by her children, Barney, aged 19, and 16-year-old Lucy.

The knees-up in the school room behind the chapel will be led by Sue’s nephew and his band.

“It will be a bit bonkers,” Sue told The Messenger.

After running a successful ladies’ gardening business, appropriately called Land Girls, Sue became a freelance celebrant in 2014.

She conducts lots of funerals and a few weddings across the area.

It was at his nephew’s wedding in 2015 that Danny decided to lose weight and, after shedding eight stone, became Slimming World’s Man of the Year 2016.

Sue said: “I don’t care what size he is but we both like our food.”

The couple, who live in Sale, will leave for a honeymoon break in Rome, Florence and Tuscany the day after conducting the Mothering Sunday service on March 22, it has been confirmed.