AFTER the wedding jitters and excitement of the last couple of weeks, I had been expecting a quiet few days in soapland, what with half the regulars on honeymoon.

How foolish I was. The events of the calamitous Coronation Street and the will-they-wont-they debate surrounding Emmerdale's love triangle did result in one happy' couple tying the knot, but any true fan knows hell will freeze over before a wedding runs smoothly in the loveable land of soap.

After some prenuptial passion with his brother's bride-to-be, love-rat Robert turned up right in the nick of time, fresh from frolicking, to play best man to Andy who, let's face it, deserves some happiness - what with accidentally killing his adoptive mother Sarah and discovering his father had murdered local postie Vic.

And, despite bride Katie looking like something out of the Kingdom of Narnia with her furry fairy gown, the Rev Ashley kept a straight face and finished the ceremony without too major a hitch.

At this point I must mention the incidental Daniel Bedingfield track which married well (excuse the pun) with the camera's slow-motion panning of the beaming congregation a nice touch Yorkshire TV.

The real suspense-builder was the reception where, after hitting the sauce big-time, the best man delivered a heart-rending speech illustrated with scowls so convincing that one wonders whether it's down to talent or actor Karl Davies being a nasty little prat himself.

The day of nuptials culminated with a brief comedy moment - as members of the cast hit the dancefloor to reveal some interesting moves - before ruthless Rob bedded the bridesmaid to keep the sordid secret under wraps. Although I doubt I'd be putting my neck on the line if I said the truth will out.

Speaking of necks, poor old Deirdre got a bit of an ear-bashing from an over made-up and under-dressed Liz Macdonald after our Tracy, the little minx, literally lost Patience and broke up the Wedding of the Year with the revelation that bridegroom Steve was, in fact, the father of her newly-born child.

The crestfallen faces of oddball Roy and he-she Hayley who for a man, looked almost pretty as bridesmaid were enough to melt the hardest of hearts. Who would have thought the Croppers would make for such classic Coronation Street viewing.

Quite how the stained-glass windows of Walcott Manor escaped a shattering fate I'm not sure, with Karen's piercing shrieks resonating around the room of shocked, but I suspect secretly delighted, onlookers.

And, despite the demise of the much-hyped wedding being highly predictable, some great acting from the streets most lovable couple and relative newcomer Kate Ford surely a good bet for best actress at this year's soap awards paved the way for another wedding to go down in soap history and a storyline which will no doubt run for some time.