'I promise to cherish her for the rest of my life.'

When Michelle Bowe and Roy Mahy were turned down for the TV show Don't Tell the Bride, Roy was determined to go that extra mile to make their wedding day one to remember.
Roy Mahy and Michelle BoweRoy Mahy and Michelle Bowe
Roy Mahy and Michelle Bowe

In their own style that mirrored the popular show, Roy, 56, organised most of the wedding day without Michelle’s knowledge.

He hand-picked all the wedding attire - bride’s dress, bridesmaid dresses, groom’s suit and he chose and decided on a theme for all the flowers too.

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Michelle, a cleaner, who turned 33 on their wedding day, said: “He even got the sizes the right and had artificial flowers made in the shape of a heart with red and white roses.”

Roy Mahy and Michelle Bowe.Roy Mahy and Michelle Bowe.
Roy Mahy and Michelle Bowe.

But the biggest surprise for Michelle was yet to come.

Roy had organised for a wheelbarrow, decorated for a wedding, to be delivered to the wedding venue on the back of a breakdown truck.

To Michelle’s surprise as they left Fleetwood Registry Office, Roy was ready to push his bride along Lord Street to the King’s Arms where they enjoyed their first drink as a married couple.

Michelle said: “It was a beautiful day, the weather was perfect, sunny and warm and it was a day that will not be forgotten especially with it being my birthday, my wedding day and being pushed down Lord Street in a wheelbarrow!

Roy Mahy and Michelle Bowe.Roy Mahy and Michelle Bowe.
Roy Mahy and Michelle Bowe.
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“People were watching from pubs and shops and we were even beeped at a few times by vans and cars.

“We were greeted and cheered on by a good few members of the public. Everyone one said it had never been seen before in Fleetwood, and I feel sure it has never been done.”

The couple, who live in Fleetwood, met in 2010 but didn’t begin dating until June 2015. They became engaged six months later with a surprise engagement party.

Roy had told Michelle they were going out for a family Christmas meal, but he had secretly planned to propose.

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He showered her with gifts and kneeled down on one knee to sing Daniel O’Donnell’s ‘A Little Piece of Heaven’. It was a brave moment for Roy as he sang the song acoustically with no words to follow or music to guide him.

Roy said: “All I can say is I nearly fell in love with this young lady when we first met.

“But it took us some years before we decided to get together.

“On December 11 2015, I asked Michelle’s mum if I could have her daughter’s hand in marriage.

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“Michelle had tried to get us on Don’t Tell the Bride, but after getting knocked back three times, I said I’d give her a day to remember for the rest of her life.

“I hoped I pleased her and promise to cherish her for the rest of my life.”

The couple enjoyed an evening reception at the Cricket Club and plan a honeymoon to Guernsey, where Roy is originally from, for Michelle to meet his parents.