Tennis and Scottish hero,Andy Murray weds in hometown

Tennis ace Andy Murray married his long-term girlfriend Kim Sears at Dunblane's 12th century cathedral on Saturday, bringing his Scottish hometown to a standstill. The newlyweds came under a shower of confetti as they left the venue to the sound of cathedral bells at 5.40 pm (1640GMT), just over an hour after they arrived. Crowds cheered as they drove off in a grey car decorated with ribbons. Sears wore a white dress with a plunging neckline, lace sleeves and a long veil carried by four bridesmaids dressed in identical pink outfits while the groom wore a green and blue tartan kilt. A bagpiper earlier welcomed the 2013 Wimbledon champion into the church while Sears arrived in a car a few minutes later, to a peel of applause from the gathered spectators. Ahead of the service, Murray posted a series of "emojis" to his 2.98 million Twitter followers, revealing his plans for the day. They ended with cocktails, kisses and several Zzzz sleep symbols. Despite earlier hailstorms, the sun shone on family and friends as they arrived for the intimate service in Dunblane Cathedral, which was decorated with huge bouquets of white hydrangeas and full-sized blossom trees. With an eye on the skies, Murray's mother Judy tweeted: "Hailstones. Marvellous" and then later "Snowing. #whitewedding". Murray revealed that his brother Jamie and friends Ross Hutchins and Carlos Mier were to share best man duties. Several fans camped overnight to catch a glimpse of the couple and the streets were festooned with bunting in scenes usually reserved for a royal wedding. "We're so excited about seeing them and the atmosphere is great, it's been well worth coming," said fan Brenda Watson, from nearby Ayrshire. Reverend Colin Renwick, who married the couple, received huge cheers as he arrived at the cathedral. The 27-year-old Sears has already become accustomed to the limelight, often finding herself in the cameraman's sights while watching Murray courtside at events all around the world. She too grew up in a tennis-loving home with father Nigel Sears formerly the LTA's head of women's tennis.