Couple's prom-ise to share wedding

A romance between a music-loving couple will reach a crescendo when they share their wedding day with 3,000 people at a proms event.

Trumpet player Steve Hill met Belinda Pyper while they were both promoting Ampthill Proms and festival.

The pair fell in love and realised they could make sweet music together.

When 56-year-old Steve popped the question, they came up with the clef-er idea of getting wed on the day of this summer’s proms – and holding their reception in the middle of the event.

“It just seems the right thing to do,” said 58-year-old Belinda, who works at the Cottage Bakery in Ampthill.

Both are members of the committee that organises the highly successful three-day Ampthill festival, of which the proms in the park event is an annual highlight.

But their festival commitments mean their big day will be extra busy.

“We’ll be helping to organise the proms, wearing jeans and festival T-shirts,” said Belinda .

MBTC Ampthill Proms CoupleMBTC Ampthill Proms Couple
MBTC Ampthill Proms Couple

“We’ll have a quick change, then take an hour off to pop across the road to Ampthill Register Office and get married. Then it will be back to the park, where there will be a marquee for our reception.”

Steve, who is chariman of the proms, will take a break from his new groom duties at 7pm, when he will play on stage with the orchestra.

“After that, our guests will just mingle with the proms guests and enjoy the music,” said Belinda.

“We don’t have to worry about providing entertainment – it will be all around us!”

The couple, who are both divorced with two grown-up daughters apiece, are big Buddy Holly fans and will have a 1950s theme to their wedding ceremony.

Steve, who works as a teacher, first set eyes on Belinda three years ago at a committee event. But the pair were too shy to speak to each other until a year later, when they were placed side by side on a stall selling festival tickets.

“We were practically forced to speak to one another. As soon as we did we really hit it off – and the rest is history,” said Belinda.

Former proms chairman Yvonne Young is helping to organise the wedding.

MBTC Ampthill Proms CoupleMBTC Ampthill Proms Couple
MBTC Ampthill Proms Couple

She said: “Everybody could see right from the start that they were made for each other. It will be aperfect wedding day for a perfect couple.”

> Tickets to the Ampthill Proms and the other festival events can be purchased online via Eventbright or from selected local shops.

See www.ampthillfestival.co.uk for details.

Related topics: