The new series of Big Fat Gypsy Weddings is about to start, and with it six weeks of jaw-dropping story lines, colourful characters and over-the-top dresses.
To celebrate, Channel 4 sent a model dressed up as a gypsy bride onto the London streets wearing a candy pink, 12-stone wedding gown.
The back-breaking frock was designed by Thelma Madine, the bridal designer responsible for the majority of dresses worn by the brides in the hit Channel 4 show.
The gargantuan offering was embellished all over with Swarovski crystals, with butterflies on the bodice and more stones scattered over the full skirt.
Beneath the dress were six stiff net underskirts, giving the 'bride' an immense girth that meant she struggled to get in and out of the pink limo that carried her from landmark to landmark.
'It took five minutes to squeeze her out of the door of the limo, and another five to get her back in again,' said one of the helpers assisting the model around the capital.
'She couldn't sit on a seat - instead she had to lie on the floor of the car.
'The 12-stone weight of the dress sat on her hips, and by the end of the day she was feeling really tired from carrying it around.
She said her hips were quite sore too.'
For the girls in the gypsy community, the heavier the dress, the better. Their lavish dresses often come with up to 24 underskirts, making them too wide to walk down the aisle.
The girls frequently suffer wounds and bruising from carrying their dresses - but wear them as a badge of pride.
With her gown sweeping the London pavements as she walked, Gem Allen made her way through the capital, stopping off at several of the most famous landmarks.
Heavy: The 12-stone dress was given volume with six underskirts - though the girls in the gypsy community often wear up to 24
Taxi! The bride struggled to get in and out of the car - taking five minutes to squeeze in and out the door
Retracing the steps of another of the past year's most memorable brides, Gem paid a visit to Westminster cathedral where Kate and William were married in April last year.
She caused such a stir,' the Gyspy Weddings team told MailOnline. 'Dozens of people wanted to pose with her, and she received lots of marriage proposals. White van men in particular were keen - they were shouting at her and honking their horns all day.'
For her part, model Gem said: 'I do not know how those brides do it. The dress was so big and heavy it was impossible to walk properly. It was a show-stopper though and literally stopped traffic'.
Big Fat Gypsy Weddings has proved to be the jewel in the crown of the Channel 4 schedule, attracting the highest viewing figures Channel 4 had seen in three years.
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