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Michael Ball's wedding surprise after radio proposal

Isabella BonehamWest Midlands
BBC A wedding photograph showing three people standing together in an elegant indoor venue. The person in the centre wears a dark blue suit and holds a bouquet of white flowers. On the left, another person wears a black suit with a grey waistcoat and bow tie. On the right, a person wears a strapless white wedding dress and glasses, with one hand resting on the centre person's arm.BBC
Michael Ball attended Dave and Dawn Lloyd's wedding ceremony on Sunday

A couple whose surprise radio proposal captured hearts across the country were given an unforgettable wedding gift when singer and broadcaster Michael Ball turned up to perform at their ceremony.

Dawn Lloyd was shocked when her partner Dave proposed on BBC Radio 2's Love Letters programme in the summer, and was stunned all over again when Ball appeared at the couple's wedding at Weston Hall in Stafford on Sunday.

"I had no inkling whatsoever that this was going to happen," she said. "I was blown away.

"I just can't believe Dave has surprised me like this a second time. I was fooled the first time and now he has got me again."

Ball appeared without warning during the ceremony and performed Love Changes Everything, leaving Dawn and the wedding guests stunned.

Dawn said the day had been "perfect", with Dave adding he was "grateful for what Michael has done for us as a couple and for all of the family and friends to enjoy it as well".

Three people stand together during a wedding ceremony inside an elegant room with cream walls, arched alcoves and decorative wall lights. At the centre, a person in a dark blue suit holds a microphone and speaks while standing between two people dressed for the wedding. One person wears a white strapless wedding gown and stands to the left, while another wears a dark suit with a bow tie and boutonnière and stands to the right. Behind them is a glass-topped signing table with floral decorations.
Ball sang Love Changes Everything at the ceremony

Dave and Dawn, from Cannock, won over listeners when Dave secretly teamed up with Ball to stage the proposal.

Dawn, believing she was taking part in a BBC tour, was welcomed into the studio by Ball, who pretended he was recording voiceovers, before Dave read out a love letter and proposed to the woman he had been with for 31 years.

During the broadcast, Dave revealed he had already booked the wedding at Weston Hall, choosing a date close to 11 November, the anniversary of the day they first got together.

Ball later said the proposal was "so moving" that "we thought we have to follow this through".

Dave said he was "grateful for what Michael has done for us as a couple"

Weston Hall holds special significance for the couple and was where Dave first proposed in the late 1990s.

But Dawn, who was 19 at the time, was so overwhelmed that she laughed, and the engagement ring was later lost, meaning the engagement never officially stuck.

More than 25 years later, the couple, who now have three children, finally made it down the aisle at the venue where their story began.

A person in a white wedding dress embraces a person in a blue suit during a wedding ceremony in a historic venue with tall leaded-glass windows and blue curtains. Guests seated on either side applaud while watching the embrace. Behind them, a videographer records the moment using a professional camera with an attached microphone and bright light. Floral arrangements are visible in the foreground, and the room features stone window surrounds and elegant décor.
Dawn said she was "blown away" by the wedding day surprise

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