By Sarah Bull and Georgina Littlejohn


You may kiss the bride: Holly Branson and her new husband Fred Andrews share their first kiss as a married couple after they married on Necker Island


They might have been surrounded by fire-ravaged ruins on their Caribbean island wedding.

But Holly Branson and her new husband Fred Andrews only had eyes for each other as they shared their first kiss as a married couple.

The newlyweds locked lips in front of their proud and happy friends and family moments after tying the knot on her father Sir Richard Branson's idyllic Necker Island.


Holly looked absolutely beautiful in her elegant white gown as she tenderly kissed her ship broker husband, who couldn't stop smiling as he held his stunning new bride.

From the front row, Holly's parents Sir Richard and Lady Joan, and her brother Sam, led the rest of the guests in a round of applause as they beamed with pride.

And it all became too much for Sir Richard and 26-year-old Sam, who, according to Holly, cried buckets as she tied the knot.

Speaking to Hello! magazine in an exclusive interview to accompany a stunning set of photos from her big day, Holly said: 'Dad cries at anything, even adverts. My brother, Sam, was even more emotional - he was literally uncontrollably crying. Blubbing his eyes out.'

Proud: Holly and Fred got married in front of their closest family and friends who applauded loudly as they got married


Holly and Fred married on the island that back in August was ravaged by a huge fire that destroyed the Great House on the Virgin Island.

She wasn't going to let that stop her holding her big day there and said getting married on the remains added a special aspect to the ceremony.

Talking to the magazine, she said: 'Because it is such a dramatic environment, you don't get a sad feeling on the ruins, it's more of an uplifting, wow, a feeling of celebration and a time to reflect.

'Before, we were wondering where to fit that many people to have a proper service, but it was the most obvious big flat open space, it was perfect.

Stunning: Photographs of Holly Branson's stunning wedding, which took place on her father Sir Richard's private Necker Island, appear in this week's edition of Hello! magazine


'It's definitely our special place and it looked absolutely beautiful, even thought it was still very rustic - there are still piles of rubble - it was dramatic. And it's stunning because you're at the top of a hill so there are incredible panoramic views.'

But despite going ahead with the wedding on the ruins of the fire, the bridal party and the guests then had to contend with a tropical storm which lashed the palm-fringed retreat.

And the waves were so high that the boat bringing guests from nearby Virgin Gorda couldn’t moor and some guests even dived into the sea to get ashore.

Freddie said: ‘The girls spent hours getting ready, only to have the rain and winds ruin it - but they still looked beautiful and it added to the spirit of the occasion. It certainly wasn’t going to spoil our day.’

Destroyed: The Great House on her father Richard
Branson's £60 million Necker Island in the Carribbean was ravaged by fire in August


Holly and Fred, who met at school in Oxford, shared 35 pictures of their beautiful wedding with the publication.

The event was well-attended, including two royal guests- Princess Beatrice and her sister Eugenie.

While it is not surprising the two were invited to the nuptials as they are close with Holly, they did make the unusual move of declining the annual invite to the Queen's pre-Christmas lunch.

Given that the Queen only summons the entire Royal Family to the palace twice a year, it clearly was a serious request for the girls to ask their grandmother's permission to skip the event.

Proud: The day of the wedding saw Sir Richard write on his blog about his pride following the ceremony

A source said: 'It’s a sure sign that the Queen has mellowed a little.

The stunning 30-year-old blonde is seen wearing a bespoke ivory wedding gown and veil by Australian bridal designer Jane Hill, with sparkling Jimmy Choo sandals and carrying a posy of cream roses.

Talking about being walked up the aisle by Virgin boss Sir Richard, Holly said: 'I saw everyone's smiling faces and Freddie standing there at the altar, I just felt so happy. It was a real moment for us to share.'

And Sir Richard added: 'Its ruins couldn't have been a more perfect setting to hold such a beautiful wedding. We definitely turned a negative into a positive.'

The gorgeous wedding ceremony followed a four-day build-up, which had seen the 100 friends take part in a variety of activities including sailing races, beach olympics and a vollyeball tournament, won by Holly.

Holly also revealed that Sir Richard is already keen for her to fall pregnant so that he can be a grandfather.

She laughed: 'He was really keen for me to be pregnant walking down the aisle. He didn't think we should worry about being married first.

'My parents weren't married before they had Sam and I, but both had been married before and it didn't work, so I think for us, it's nice to do everything in the right order.'

And Freddie, 30, told Hello! he is keen to get started on having children, adding: 'Both of us would love to start a family and we think that marriage is the first step to getting that underway.'


Hero: Kate Winslet famously carried Richard's 90-year-old mother Eve down a flight of stairs in the burning home



source:dailymail