A man whose wedding was postponed three times got a secret surprise when his partner of 11 years decided to hold their big day with only an hour's notice on his birthday.

Mark and Kat Bowyer, from Hope near Welshpool were due get married in June this year however the coronavirus scuppered those plans.

It's been a four-year effort to get hitched which involved a cancelled Mauritius wedding after Kat's dad suffered a heart attack, her mum being diagnosed with cancer for the third time, and then Mark was taken to hospital in an ambulance with heart problems.

"His dad died of heart problems quite young, so Mark's had a rough time. He went into hospital three times and he was getting to the point where he was feeling low.

"Between Covid, work, mum and Mark, I thought there must be something nice to come out of this year."

Kat and her mum Loraine along with her aunt hatched a plan in secret to show how much she loved him by organising a surprise wedding on August 27, Mark's birthday.

"He obviously had no idea. I had to get the banns read, I had to secretly go out and say that I was dying my mum's hair, another time I told him that I had to go and move my friend's furniture.

"Then I had to get my dress and his suit, that was hard work. I had to get two different sizes to make sure one of them definitely fit. I got the wrong size ring! It was a size too small and I had to place it on his little finger when we were doing our vows."

Dressed in her wedding dress Kat surprised her shocked fiancee in the marquee and asked him the big question "will you marry me today" as she held up his suit.

The couple were married at Trelystan's St Mary's Church in front of nine guests which Kat said was "very small and intimate which was ideal. It was what I wanted anyway".

She added: "We were welling up at the time. We've had such a rocky start and so many hurdles in the way. It was an absolutely fantastic day. It was so romantic. But he was so shocked"

"Planning it in secret you think you would forget something obvious, apart from the beers for the groom!".

Kat and Mark plan to have a big do next year on August 21 when they renew their vows.