Strictly Come Dancing star marries Irishman
Entertainment

Strictly Come Dancing star marries Irishman

Strictly Come Dancing dancer Aliona Vilani has tied the knot with an Irishman on the Caribbean island of St Thomas.

The Kazakhstan-born dancer married Dublin native Vincent Kavanagh in a ceremony that was attending only by Vilani's parents and Kavanagh's mother.

In an interview in the new issue of Hello! Magazine, Vilani – who won Strictly Come Dancing in 2011 with McFly’s Harry Judd - says that it was fellow contestant Anita Dobson who introduced her to the Irish sales director.

"She said 'I really want you to meet this guy. Give him a chance, he's so lovely'. So I did and here we are,” Vilani recalled.

"Vincent is a lot of fun and adores me. He is the sweetest man I have ever met. He is my soulmate.

"You never know when you're going to meet someone who is so right for you. My parents keep saying they couldn't have imagined I would meet someone who is so similar to me."

Vilani said of their wedding day: "It was perfect, just the way we imagined it. We were both so emotional.

"When you get there and it's real, it overwhelms you. It was very special. We were both a bit shaky."

She added: "I look forward to having a family. To me, that is the most important thing."