Stamshaw couple are bowled over by wedding decorations

That is what happened to Sarah Marchant (nee Taylor), 28, when husband Alex, 35, proposed to her on New Year’s Eve in 2013 ‘after we were both drinking a lot of wine!’

Sarah, a housewife from Stamshaw, Portsmouth, met Alex, an engraver, in September, 2010.

She says: ‘We married at All Saints Church on Commercial Road, which was the same place where my husband’s parents got married, while our reception was held at Waverley Bowling Club, Southsea, where Alex is the captain of the bowls team.’

Sarah has one child, six-year-old Ruby Mae, while she and Alex are also expecting a baby boy.

The night before the wedding, Sarah says she and Alex spent the early hours decorating the venue.

‘We decorated it from midnight to 3am and when we left the venue, it looked a mess because we were tired and just gave up.

‘However to my surprise, when I walked into the venue after we got married, Alex and some friends finished it off and made it look beautiful.’

‘We had many friends who helped make the venue look amazing, including Billy McCubbin who was also an usher, his partner Fiona, Kelly Robertson who did the flowers, Rob Moran, Tony Ingram, Monty Saunders, and Barry Harmer who are Waverley members and friends.

‘Rob Lewsley is the Waverley steward and Matt and Tilly were family members.’

Sarah says of her thoughts when walking down the aisle: ‘Before I got to the church, I was petrified as I knew I was going to face 100 people.

‘The moment I got to the aisle, I calmed down and told myself “everyone’s on my side and I must enjoy the service as it is the most special day of our lives.”’

Sarah’s personal highlight of the day was ‘spending it with the most important people in our lives’.

She adds: ‘We also got to see our surprise wedding cake which was truly out of this world.

‘We gave the cakemaker lots of colours and themes, including a bowls theme, my favourite colours and a shabby chic theme.

‘We were stunned when we walked into the reception venue and saw the cake. We had never seen anything like it before and were gutted we had to cut it all up!’

Sarah says the best man’s speech was done by Alex’s brother Matthew.

‘It was brilliant, it had everyone in fits of laughter!’

‘He gave everyone envelopes of pictures of Alex when he was a child and a teenager, which was a brilliant idea. Everyone enjoyed it, but I’m sure Alex will get his own back!’

After the couple’s baby is born, they plan to go on a family holiday.