Bob and Charlotte Dailly knew their golden wedding anniversary would be special, but their family really made it a day they’ll never forget.
The couple – who were pen pals before romance blossomed – renewed their wedding vows at the church that they got married in as part of a huge surprise organised by daughters Charmaine Garden and Jacqueline Petrie.
Mr and Mrs Dailly were the first people to ever marry in St George’s Tillydrone Church in November 1971.
And in a poignant twist, they look likely to be the last to celebrate their nuptials as the church will end its regular worship sessions on Christmas Eve.
However, although the couple knew they were going to renew their vows on Saturday they had no idea what their children had arranged for the big day.
Mrs Garden said: “Mum and dad really were surprised when we pulled up to the church as they had no idea.
“They were none the wiser until we stopped and my dad saw his brother Michael starting to play pipes. Then the penny dropped, they were so happy.”
An emotional day
She said “every occasion is just that bit more special” after her father was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
Mrs Garden admitted it had been “a little stressful” getting all their family and friends together without parents finding out, but was delighted it all came together in the end.
She said her dad was “very emotional” when he was told that his only granddaughter, Ellie, would be walking him down the aisle.
Mrs Dailly was walked down the aisle by her grandson Liam while Let’s Get Married by the Proclaimers spread throughout the church.
As the couple exited the church, friends and family let off golden confetti canons to mark the special occasion.
Not quite love at first sight
Bob and Charlotte Dailly first met as pen pals in 1968 when Mr Dailly was a piper and dancer with the Gordon Highlanders.
Their first face-to-face meeting wasn’t quite a fairytale, with Mrs Dailly apparently saying to friends “gads, I wisna writin tae him wis I?”
Luckily, he convinced her to go out for a drink with him and the two were married three years later.
Mr Dailley, 72, described their original wedding as “fantastic” and remembered having nearly all the members of his pipe band there along with family and friends.
He added: “We have often been asked ‘would you have that wedding over again?’ and the answer was always a resounding yes.”
In his vows at their renewal ceremony, Mr Dailly spoke of the adventures he and his wife have been on together – including living in Singapore for two years before returning to the Granite City to raise their daughters.
He also recalled camping and caravanning holidays, with their children and grandchildren.
He told those gathered: “Like most families, I guess we all have our ups and downs but so long as you love one another it is a recipe for a long marriage, and reaching our golden wedding is a real milestone for any couple.
“Charlotte has always been the strength in our family, and she has supported me in all I do, more so now than ever.
“I have a diamond wife just like her mum, Nana, who was the real head of our families, she was loved by all who knew her. And I believe she is still looking down on all of us.”