Rate My Takeaway’s Danny Malin gets hitched to bellydancing journalist in a great Yorkshire-themed wedding

Former Butcher Danny Malin, 43, met vegan personal trainer and journalist Sophie Mei Lan, 35, last year during a media interview, when the pair hit it off and Danny invited Sophie as a guest on his LDC radio show.

“Even in that interview we had a ‘Yorkshire off' and we just clicked. Then I took her to the train station but her train was cancelled so I dropped her off at home,” Danny said.

Sophie and Danny began meeting up as friends and quickly realised they had fallen for each other.

Sophie said: “I felt like I was living every romantic cliche I had written about, we were destined to be. He is the one for me, there is no doubt.”

Danny popped the question to Sophie after she’d finished cleaning the loos! With bleach on her hands and a mum-bun in her hair, she said yes.

Sophie said: “Then in another glamorous moment, I took a pregnancy test in the t’Asda loos and Danny saw the results when we hopped back into the Rate My Takeaway van. And we were up duff.”

In true Danny and Sophie style they planned to tie the knot before their baby was here.

On June 10 at 11am the pair wed at Leeds Minster in a ceremony in front of friends and family to the sound of a gospel choir, dancing and British Sign Language from CoActive and prayers uniting everyone.

The theme was white, green and yellow like the Yorkshire Rose with oriental touches and the chinese lucky colour gold in abundance. Rather than traditional flowers one of Leeds’ oldest churches was decorated in stylish balloons by a Sense of Occasion.

Sophie wore a fairytale dress from Bridal Reloved in York, the bridesmaids were dressed in a design by Sophie’s daughter Jasmine and made by Wake Bespoke and all the groomsmen were dressed in suits by Danny’s favourite Yorkshire shop Slaters.

Sophie said: “I was worried about finding ‘the’ dress with my growing belly but my friend Elizabeth took the best care of me and I bought a preloved dress, tiara and veil for the big day. Better still it’s all preloved so eco -friendly.”

Being eco-conscious was important to the couple who tasked Crafting for Good CIC to make stunning invites using recycled craft supplies.

Sophie added: “I also felt a million dollars having Shaheen Bridals do my makeup and hair by Rebecca Roberts.”

Following the ceremony conducted by Paul Maybury at Leeds Minster where the landmark Leeds Cross is held, there was a crisp buffet, mocktail bar by the Black Durag Guy and a food truck outside of Leeds Minster.

Wedding guests then strutted their way over to Aria Suite for a wedding breakfast of indo-chinese cuisine as well as special entertainment from guest bellydancers, burlesque chair dance uk, the wedding magician of the year, musician Cat Thompson and singer Zara Hall. Followed by a rave-style disco hosted by LDC Radio who Danny and Sophie have their own show on with DJ MT on the decs.

Plus a special set from good friend and legendary DJ Stephanie Hirst alongside Mr and Mrs Yorkshire themed cocktails from the Iyaka Events.

Owner of Iyaka Events Karina said: “The Mr Yorkshire cocktail was a Danny-misu inspired by Dan’s love of Tiramisu and with a magic wand as a stirrer as well as a lightning bolt to represent his love of Harry Potter and magic. As Mrs Yorkshire is a bellydancer and personal trainer @thesparklecoach her drink was a sparkly nipple aka a sparkly red strawberry mocktail with gold pieces, gems on the side and a newspaper scroll for a stirrer to represent her job as a journalist at Yorkshire Post.”

As expected the wedding was full of Yorkshire’s best media talent such as ITV’s Christine Talbot as compere, Man Vs Baby author Matt Coyne doing a reading, photography and graphic design by Rob Harrison Photography and filming by Esther Olaoye from Sparkle Community Media CIC (the social enterprise Danny and Sophie run), @360boothmcr for all your selfies and the Rate My Takeaway team.

Other special guests included legends of rugby league, Alfie OddJob, the Rate My Takeaway admins as well as Sophie’s Mr and Mrs Yorkshire’s favourite journalists, TV personalities and content creators.

A Britain’s Got Talent british variety show reflected Sophie’s career whereas food was also centrestage for the Rate My Takeaway man himself Danny.

“The Indian platters were made by Sheepscar Bar and Grill for the Wedding Breakfast and we then had a West Indian street food cart.”

Danny added the food was a solid 10 because the alternative would have been Toby Carvery for the wedding until disaster struck following the fruit and vegetables crisis.

It was a true regional affair when it came to using suppliers too with Spruce York making bespoke wedding coat hangers, Aroma Fizz Faye making hangers and flip flops and Helen Naughton creating Yorkshire inspired wax melts as Favours for all the guests.

Sophie added: “And a huge thanks goes to all our parents, children, wedding planner extraordinaire Carron Cummings from Code Events and to all our wonderful friends and families who celebrated our weird and wonderful day full of love and grub with us.”