SUMMER OF LOVE: 'We just match each other perfectly'

Olympic swimmer Matthew Richards marries fiancée Emily Large in a fairytale ceremony, making it a summer that they'll never forget

- MITYA UNDERWOOD

There isn't much that can top off a summer of Olympic glory, but marrying your soulmate in front of your closest friends and family is definitely one of those things.

For Matthew Richards, who made history at this year's Olympic Games in Paris, and fiancée Emily Large, their wedding day was a fairytale moment and the perfect ending to an unforgettable summer.

The couple, who are both professional swimmers with a number of medals already under their belts, said their "I Dos" on 22 August in a moving ceremony set on a stunning estate in rural Herefordshire, and when OK! catches up with them a few days later, they're still a picture of newlywed bliss.

"I don't think it's really sunk in that I'm Matt's wife yet, I think we're both still on a high," beams Emily.

"We've had such an exciting summer and then to get married and have a day like we had, I couldn't have hoped for more. I know I wanted a perfect day, but I don't think I actually thought we'd have one - but we really did!"

Emily, 23, from Newcastle, and Matt, 21, from Worcester, are relatively young newlyweds by today's standards, but as the new Mrs Richards says, "When you know, you know." She explains, "We met at 17 and 19 and lived together within three months of being together, and we've never spent a day apart in four years. I don't think that happens very often any more. It just felt right, so we thought, 'Why wait? Let's just do it.""

As for Matt, who won gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay and silver in the 200m freestyle this summer, you only have to see the way he looks at Emily to know he's found his person.

"I know people say this a lot, but Emily is just one of those people who, every time she walks into a room, she just lights it up," he tells us. "She's the most genuine and lovely human you could ever meet and has an incredibly infectious smile.