'Wedding of the year' ruined: Groom in court after attacking brother-in-law with iron

He had hoped it would be the "wedding of the year".

But Andrew James Spice got so drunk the night before his wedding in Queenstown he ended up hitting his fiancee's brother three times in the head with an iron, then passed out in the hotel lobby.

The 54-year-old Australian was today convicted by Judge Dominic Flatley in the Alexandra District Court of assault with a blunt weapon, in Queenstown, on September 20.

Counsel for Spice, Tanya Surrey, said everything had gone "spectacularly wrong" after he arrived back at his hotel drunk at 3am.

"He had hoped it would be the wedding of the year and it hasn't panned out like that."

Judge Flatley said Spice had brought the situation upon himself.

He fined Spice $3000 and ordered him to pay $500 emotional harm reparation.

The good news? The happy couple still got married, yesterday.

They left court today holding hands.