Andy Murray and Kim Sears wedding: Hundreds of wellwishers flood Dunblane

British tennis number one will marry Sears at Dunblane Cathedral

The couple leave the cathedral (PA)

Hundreds of people turned out to see Andy Murray tie the knot with his long-term partner Kim Sears in Dunblane Cathedral this afternoon.

The couple, who turned down all offers from celebrity magazines to cover their wedding, made sure that their wedding remained a private affair – with Sears' careful arrival granting onlookers the briefest of glimpses of her dress.

Kim Sears arrives at Dunblane Cathedral (PA)

However, onlookers were rewarded after the ceremony when the beaming couple appeared briefly before heading to their reception, reportedly at the Cromlix hotel owned by Murray.

Murray arrives his wedding (PA)

Sears arriving at the church (in the wind and rain) (Rex images)

The bespoke silk chiffon design featured a full skirt with hand-beaded Swarovski crystal sleeve (Rex images)

(Rex images)

(Rex images)

Murray moved to Spain at 15 to pursue his professional sporting career but has maintained close links to the town.

Murray and Sears, an artist, married in Dunblane’s 12th century cathedral at 4pm before attending a small reception with family and friends. The pair met in 2005 when they were introduced by Sear's father Nigel, a tennis coach.

Murray expressed his excitement for the big day in an emoticon-filled tweet detailing the day's activities from waking up until going to sleep, with plenty of alcohol in between.

The town has joined in the festivities by putting up bunting down its high street and dedicating window displays to the event. Some residents are also holding garden parties to mark the occasion.

Graham Fleming puts up Bunting in the towns main street, as Local shops in Dunblane High Street decorate their displays in support of local boy Andy Murray ahead of his wedding to Kim Sears (PA)

Murray bought a county house in Cromlix, just outside of Dunblane, which he has since converted into a luxury hotel. The BBC reports that the wedding reception will be held there.

Murray's fans have raised over £4,000 for the Elena Baltacha's Academy of Tennis (EBAT) charity as a wedding present. Baltacha was the former British tennis number one and died of liver cancer in 2014.

The 27-year-old has admitted in the past that wedding planning has largely been left to the devices of his wife-to-be. The couple announced their engagement in November last year.

“Kim’s been pretty much doing it,” he said last week. “I’ve tried to help out when she has asked, but I haven’t been over-involved. I did all the food and cake tasting which I really enjoyed, although I didn’t think I was going to. It’s a big day for Kim.”

Additional reporting by Press Association