It’s meant to be the happiest day of your life – except, in this case, the groom didn’t know anything about it.
Paul Schoproni, 40, had been asking his partner Aleasha Pilawa to marry him for years but she’d never given him an answer.
So to make up for it the 36-year-old business owner from Bargoed decided to stage a fake wedding for two friends – at which Paul was to be best man – before turning up in front of everyone in a wedding dress and popping the question to him right then and there.
Dancing down the makeshift aisle at the town’s Capel Hotel on August 31 while dressed all in white Aleasha belted out her rendition of the 1978 Motown hit It Should’ve Been Me – while all her unsuspecting other half could do was look on in shock.
Then, in a video shot by a member if the congregation, you can see how the penny finally drops with Paul punching the air with joy.
Finally Aleasha gets down on one knee and asks: “Will you marry me?”
But, unable to resist getting his own back for the stunt, Paul replies “No” and pretends to run away.
All’s well that ends well, though, as he quickly returns to plant a big kiss on her lips and accepts.
“For the last two years he’s proposed to me about 30 times a day,” said Aleasha, explaining the elaborate deception.
“I’m doing a degree in HR management and running two tyre repair garages so having someone asking to marry you all the time can be exhausting.
“Besides I’ve been married twice already and was a bit reluctant to go through all that again.”
Having previously met on a night out Paul also works for Aleasha at one of her garages.
“He used to do things like stand outside there in the morning as I drove past holding a billboard saying ‘Will you marry me?’ – proper embarrassing.
“So I thought I’d finally put him out of his misery,” mum-of-three Aleasha said.
But while everyone else knew what was going on Paul believed he was attending a humanist vow renewal ceremony for his friends Kevin and Heidi.
“He did get suspicious once or twice so I’d have to create an argument just so I could be alone to plan our wedding,” explained Aleasha.
“So, yes, there were a few nights when he ended up sleeping outside in the van, bless him.
“And I just have to say a big thank you to Pink Butterfly Brides bridal shop in Bridgend who whipped me up a custom-made dress in a matter of days.”
Mechanic Paul said he still can’t believe Aleasha managed to organise the whole thing without him knowing.
“My mate Kev’s a goth and the minister was there in all this dark clothing so I never suspected for one minute the day wasn’t for him,” he said, adding the couple were now planning a honeymoon abroad.
“Then in she came singing our song – I thought it was a joke at first.
“And even now, despite the fact I’ve probably watched the video a hundred times, I still can’t quite believe it.
“Fair play – I have to say I’m pretty impressed she managed to do all that.”
