.Acid attack victim put past pain behind her as she married carpenter fiancé

.The pair exchanged their vows in a traditional ceremony on Friday
.Later they posed for this picture, the first to be seen from the happy day
.Beautiful bride said her joy was 'second only to the birth of our daughter'

Katie Piper is officially a married woman after she and partner Richard Sutton pledged their life-long commitment to one another in a stunning ceremony on Friday.

The television presenter gushed it was 'one of the best days' of her life as the very first photo of the new man and wife on their special day was released by her management after MailOnline made a donation to her charitable organisation, the Katie Piper Foundation.

Katie, 32, is the picture of happiness in the candid shot which sees her husband plant a tender kiss on her forehead after exchanging vows in front of their family and friends.

Just married! Katie Piper made one beautiful bride as she wed partner Richard Sutton in a stunning ceremony on Friday. Her management released this first photo from the wedding day to MailOnline after making a donation to her foundation

She made one beautiful bride as she gushed: 'Second only to the birth of our daughter, marrying Richie has been one of the best days of my life and I am so happy to have shared it with my close friends and family.'

An English garden provided the perfect backdrop for the pair as they basked in just-married bliss.

Katie radiated beauty as she slipped into a gorgeous white lace wedding dress which featured a semi-sheer insert and a modest train.

She opted for a traditional theme and had a trailing two-tier veil pinned to the back of her head.

'One of the best days of my life': Katie, 32, is the picture of happiness in the candid shot which shows her new husband Richard planting a tender kiss on her head

Richard on the other hand made for one dapper gent in a grey suit which featured a tail jacket.

As he faced his new wife in the snapshot, the front of his groom attire was hidden.

Katie has finally got the fairytale ending she's long hoped for and truly deserves after suffering horrific and life-changing burns at the hands of her convicted ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch who organised an assailant - Stefan Sylvestre - to throw sulphuric acid in her face after a falling out in March 2008.

Last public appearance before tying the knot: The television presenter and the carpenter attended the Music Industry Trust Awards at The Grosvenor Hotel in London on Monday night, four days before their big day

The incident was caught on CCTV and both Lynch and Sylvestre were handed life sentences of which they'll serve 16 and 12 years minimum, respectively.

Katie's recovery is on-going - she has so far undergone 40 separate operations - and she's an advocate for body confidence.

She set up her foundation - which focuses its efforts on raising awareness of the plight of victims of burns and other disfigurement injuries - in late 2009 with her surgeon Dr. Mohammad Ali Jawad who treated her in the aftermath of the attack.

Katie announced her engagement to Richard - who works as a carpenter - in December last year.

Put a ring on it: Katie announced her engagement to Richard - who works as a carpenter - in December last year

'So excited to tell you all.............. I became someone's fiancé last night! I'm engaged to be married :),' she wrote on Twitter.

The couple met after being set up by friend Juliet, who gave Richard her number.

Talking about their early dating days, she previously said: 'James was chatty, witty and looked me squarely in the eye. He never once mentioned my burns, and because he didn’t, I didn’t either.

'He didn’t even stare at them, so I didn’t feel self-conscious. He had me relaxed and buzzing with confidence.'

Katie and Richard are parents to one-year-old daughter Belle Elizabeth.