Two sisters, two grooms, one happy wedding day and no bridezillas in sight

WHAT started as a joke 'blossomed' to fruition when sisters Gabby and Ellen Byrnes both got married on Saturday - in the same ceremony.

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HERE comes the ... er, brides?

What started as a joke "blossomed" to fruition when sisters Gabby and Ellen Byrnes both got married on Saturday - in the same ceremony.And while it had all the hallmarks of a Hollywood comedy, the Byrnes sisters showed a double wedding could be twice as special.

"We just joked, how funny would it be to have our weddings together and it all blossomed from there," younger sister Gabby said.

The unusual nuptials came about after 26-year-old Gabby got engaged to Englishman Gavin Barnes last year following an office romance on a working holiday in the UK.

Ellen, 28, was already engaged to long-time boyfriend Chris Roots but the couple were too busy with the arrival of first son Patrick, now three.

So when wedding bells started ringing for Gabby and Gavin, the idea of combining both started to make sense.

The sisters ran it past their beaux, who were given veto powers, before sitting down to weigh up the "pros and cons" such as saving money and having friends and family in common but knowing there could be some big clashes.

"There was a lot of discussions mostly because all of the decisions had to be made by four people and not just two," Gabby said.

"It has been hard but it's been rewarding at the same time, it's a good feeling when a decision has been made."

It is often hard enough for one bride to make up her mind let alone two, so the wedding came together essentially by committee - a series of weekly meetings - on everything from the venue, reception, outfits, food, cars and who pays for what.

Besides the occasional "you can't do that" the biggest bridezilla moment came when their first venue, a farm at Windsor, fell through and they already had overseas guests booked on flights.

"That was stressful," Gabby said. "Music was probably the most difficult because we have different tastes but we've got a good mix."

Their mother Margo burst into tears when husband Steve walked both his daughters down the aisle - one on each arm - ahead of a nuptial mass at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chapel, Kensington.

"He's a very, very proud dad," Mrs Byrnes said.

"It was fabulous, just fabulous. Even with all the planning I thought something would go awry but it all worked like a charm, it was just beautiful."

NSW Association of Civil Marriage Celebrants secretary Marjorie Nilsson said the combined wedding was not without precedent. "I wouldn't say it's a new trend but it does happen," she said.