Couple’s rush to get hitched after devastating news
church and he is looking at me with the biggbiggest smile on his face.
“ThatThat’s how he looked all day – so happy anda constantly smiling.
“I coucould never have got married without my dad being there and Ali and I wwill always be so grateful to everyone everyon who helped make our day so specispecial.”
Bex, 330, and Ali, 33, who started dating 12 years ago, had always planned to marry but had been in no rush to getg engaged or set a wedding date untilun George fell ill.
Bex, ofo Prestonpans, East Lothian, said: “MMy dad was diagnosed with lymphoma lympho in June last year and we believed believe he would be cured and back to healhealth by Christmas. there.” The next morning Ali headed to the shops to secretly buy Bex an engagement ring.
He then went to visit George in hospital to ask for permission to marry his daughter.
Bex said: “I don’t think I had stopped crying all weekend so, on the Sunday, Ali suggested we go for a walk on the beach at Gullane . When we got there, he proposed.
“He told me he wanted us to get married with my dad at our wedding. I was so shocked, I don’t remember saying yes.”
Bex wanted to get married at Longniddry Parish Church and would have been happy with a meal at a local pub. But family and friends had other ideas.
She said: “Ali’s sister-in-law Lyndsay used to be a wedding planner at Archerfield House and Ali had already spoken to her and his brother about his plans.
“Lyndsay organised everything. She got in touch with so many people – from her hairdresser to a florist.
“She made appointments for me at bridal shops, telling them I needed a dress I could take away that day.
“Ali and I met with the minister, who said he would be free to marry us, and Lyndsay even arranged with Archerf ield House that we could have our reception there.”
Sales boss Ali and Bex texted more than 70 of their family and friends, inviting them to their ceremony and banquet, while they had 140 guests at their evening reception.
A family friend provided them with two Bentleys as their wedding cars and another made their cake. Bex will never forget the pride on her dad’s face when he saw her in her wedding dress.
She said: “Dad and I travelled to the church together. He walked me down the aisle and did his speech.
“Ali had even arranged that, t, instead of him and I dancing g together for the first dance, I danced with my dad. It was an n amazing, happy day.”
George was admitted to o hospital just days after the e wedding and died two weeks later. . His funeral service was held in the e same church where he had walked d his daughter down the aisle.
Bex added: “Ali and I didn’t go on honeymoon but, instead, spent as much time as possible with dad.
“I couldn’t have got married without my dad beside me and I know how much it meant to him too.”