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Daily Mirror
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Love Island's Zara Holland marries 7 years after infamous appearance on show

Zara Holland has married seven years after her infamous apearance on Love Island.

The former Miss Great Britain, 27, married fiancé Elliott Love in an idyllic Greek wedding after he popped the question in Dubai last January.

Zara and Elliott were joined by friends and family during the three-day wedding as they said their vows at Island Art & Taste in Athens.

Wearing an off-the-shoulder white fishtail gown decorated with intricate floral detailing, Zara looked gorgeous she stood in front of the breathtaking view of the Athens Riviera with Elliott.

The couple posed for photos as they kissed, with her veil trailing behind her.

Zara will be taking on her husband's surname, Love, and later enjoyed their first dance to Nat King Cole classic L-O-V-E as guests sipped on mint and lime cocktails.

Zara Holland with husband Sam Elliot (zaraholland/Instagram)

Her mum Cheryl Hakeney, who has appeared for 14 years as an expert on Dickinson's Real Deal, supported her daughter on her big day with her glamorous granny.

Speaking to the Mail about the ceremony, she said: "It was the best day of our lives… it was perfect. I can't put it into words."

The three-day wedding saw them enjoy a welcome dinner at a family-run Green restaurant with a traditional Greek band on the first day, the wedding on the second and a pool party on the third.

She added: "It was such a special moment having my dad walk me down the aisle. I wanted to keep it as traditional as possible, even the night before we spent separately.

"As everyone arrived, we had a harp and violin duo playing, which was epic. I walked down the aisle to them playing away.

"We got married at half 6 in the evening. I was a little bit late… It sounds so stupid, but I couldn't find any scissors to cut the straps out of my dress!"

Sharing the moment they wed on Instagram, Zara wrote: "28.06.23 Mr & Mrs Love."

Fans flocked to comment and share their congratulations, with one writing: "Congratulations Zara!! You look stunning and great surname!"

While another commented: "Oh my GOD perfection! Hope you had the best day."

Zara shot to fame on the second series of Love Island, which saw her lose her Miss GB crown after having sex on the ITV2 show.

At the time, beauty pageant organisers claimed they had "no problem with sex" but didn't condone her relationship with Alex Bowen, who is now married and has children with fellow Islander Olivia Bowen (nee Buckland).

However, no explicit scenes were ever shown and late presenter Caroline Flack criticised the decision, saying that Zara was a "very sweet girl" and quizzed the relevance of the Miss GB contest.

Two years later, Zara announced that she had quit fame and said that having sex on TV had "destroyed her life".

She went on to call for the show to be banned, claiming that she sought professional help with her own struggles after her mother encouraged her to - and claims show producers failed to offer after care.

Over recent years, ITV have put in place rigorous aftercare procedures following guidance from former Islanders' feedback.

“You think you're on a summer holiday and you might find love, but you are in a posh prison where you don't know what time it is and a voice in a wall tells you what to do,” Zara previously told the Daily Mail as she detailed her experience on the show.

“That show screwed me up. I blame it for everything. What it does to the contestants is terrible,” she continued - saying she felt she had been “brainwashed” during her own time on the show.

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