Their first wedding was a secret from even their family.
And there was another surprise in store on their silver wedding anniversary – but this time for the groom.
Douglas and Patricia Campbell, of Banff, married with only two witnesses in a civil ceremony at St Clement’s Church in Mastrick, on July 17, 1989.
They broke the news to their delighted, but surprised family, five days later.
To mark their 25th anniversary, Mrs Campbell, a grandmother of seven, decided to get married again, but kept it a secret from her unsuspecting husband.
The couple were wed again recently in a humanist ceremony at the Aberdeen Marriott Hotel
Mrs Campbell, 59, said: “He was absolutely gobsmacked. It was a really good night. Douglas doesn’t have any religious beliefs and I do, so I decided on a humanist to conduct the ceremony to make him feel more comfortable.
“It was just my husband and I, my daughter Penny, her husband David, and two of my grandchildren, Louise and Dylan. It felt very personal.”
The couple were introduced through Douglas’s cousin Penny Frost, who was friends with Patricia.
As Patricia was previously married, they needed special permission before their original wedding.
However, the bishop fell ill close to the wedding, and the couple kept it a secret because they feared it may not go ahead.
Mrs Campbell also wanted another wedding because she lost her wedding ring 12 years ago, and wanted her new band blessed.
“I had written a poem for the ceremony which made me cry. It was about 25 years ago he changed my life by making me his wife, it may be a new ring but the words still mean the same,” she said.
Mr Campbell said he was taken aback by the surprise, but loved the ceremony.
“I was expecting just a quiet dinner with family, but when I heard what was happening I couldn’t believe it. I think my face was reminiscent of what my mother’s face looked like when I told her we had got married 25 years ago.”