'Can we have a bridal shower now please?' After holding dress for 46 hrs, three call it a draw.

Byline: SAM CASEY

IT WAS more a case of wedded blisters than wedded bliss for three brides-to-be at the end of a marathon battle of wills.

Lucy McKenna, Faye Davidson and Stacey Binns were still on their feet after 46 hours in the Kingsgate Shopping Centre's Last Bride Standing competition.

They had taken up their positions in the main mall of the centre at noon on Friday as they fought it out with seven other women for the chance to bag themselves a pounds 5,000 wedding package.

The 10 contestants had to hold onto a wedding dress for as long as possible in a novel test of endurance.

One by one, all the other contestants dropped out.

But Lucy, Faye and Stacey were still in situ at 9.30am yesterday.

By that time the trio, who had started off as strangers, had struck up a bridal bond.

And, although all of them were determined to stay the distance, none of them wanted their new friends to miss out.

So, after talking things through, the three ladies decided to drop out at exactly the same time.

They will now share the prizes, which include a pounds 1,000 dress, photographer, rings, flowers and a cake.

And they have all agreed to invite one another to their own weddings.

After getting home to Lower Grange in Bradley yesterday, Faye, 25, said: "I'm exhausted. I knew it would be tiring but I didn't realise how much my legs would ache."

Of her blossoming friendship with Lucy, 27, from Holmfirth, and Stacey, 29, from Brighouse, she added: "We didn't know each other, but we were really good friends from the start and were egging each other on and encouraging each other.

"We all said we'd feel really bad if one of us got all the prizes, and we've all got different things that we still need, so we decided to share it all out.

"We've all said we'll go to each others weddings as well, which is really nice."

Kingsgate Centre manager Jonathan Hardy said he respected the ladies' decision.

He said: "What they have done is quite remarkable.

"I suspected they wouldn't go beyond Saturday night, but their resolve was quite outstanding. I think what they did was right because we wouldn't have wanted any ill health to befall them.

"And the nice thing is that they have made firm friends."

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HERE COME THE BRIDES: Competition winners - and now good friends - Faye Davidson, Stacey Binns and Lucy McKenna (JH250909Hbrides-01.jpg)