THE Very Revd Dr Tim Stratford will marry Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, and Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral tomorrow (Friday, June 6).

Throughout the city, preparations are underway for the event, not least at the place in which the special ceremony will be held.

Speaking to the Standard, Revd Stratford said that it will be “lovely” to be a part of the proceedings.

“They are a delightful couple and they have put a lot of thought and imagination and creativity into the service, so it’s a really lovely event to be a part of.

“It was a long way back in history that a very early ancestor of the present Duke was actually responsible for the foundation of the abbey on this site in 1092.”

This relationship with the Cathedral has also been highlighted by the duke himself, who said the decision to get married in Chester had been a "really easy" one.

Whilst all eyes will be on the Cathedral, despite the increased attention, the Reverend said that their approach had remained the same in the lead up to the duke’s wedding.

“In many ways, preparing for this has been the same as preparing for any wedding that we do,” he said.

“The couple are more in the public eye, so there’s been more to be done in terms of security and the impact that a wedding that so many people will be interested in will have on the city centre.

“But in terms of the clergy’s preparations with the couple for the service, they have all the same sort of questions and things to think about as any other.”

With such a large venue, The Duke and his fiancée have tried to ensure that everyone will still feel involved in the ceremony.

“The nave will be full, but they’re not packing the Cathedral out to its capacity.

“Everybody who is in the service will be seated in the middle of the nave, where they are very much a part of it.

“Sometimes with big events at the Cathedral, people can be sat in side aisles or the transept, but on this occasion they wanted everyone to be able to sit in the main central area.”

The event is set to attract crowds of people to the city tomorrow, with the ceremony due to start at around midday.