Royal wedding date for couple

A Raploch couple are to tie the knot at the same time as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

The couple will give the televised Royal wedding a wide berth as they enjoy their own big day with family and pals in the city centre.

Elizabeth Strickland (27) and Brian McKinlay (28) will celebrate their big day with pals and family as the Royal wedding takes place more than 400 miles away at Windsor Castle.

Elizabeth, a baker, and Brian, a roads construction worker, get married at The Golden Lion Hotel, in King Street, on Saturday.

Speaking ahead of the big day, Elizabeth recounted the day Brian popped the big question.

She said:“I had always told him, “don’t just come home one day and ask me to marry you”. Then, last June, he came in from work and he got changed and just went straight back out again in to the town.

“He came home and he just asked me out of the blue.”

Their big day was all set before the date of the Royal wedding had been announced.

And the marriage of Prince Harry and Ms Markle isn’t the only big occasion to clash with the couple’s memorable day.

The showpiece event of the Scottish football season, the Scottish Cup Final, will take place at Hampden Park on Saturday.

Elizabeth, a Rangers fan, jokingly added:“Rangers didn’t make it to the final, that would have given us another decision to make.”

The soon-to-be man and wife have been together for eight years and have two young sons, Blake (4) and Brian (2).

The bride added:“The boys are going to be pageboys. Blake is really excited about it, but Brian is a little bit too young to really know what is going on.”

Around 65 close friends and relatives will come together at the city centre venue to celebrate.