AN Uplawmoor man left guests at his engagement party stunned when they were told: “You are now at a wedding.”

Jake King and his partner Joanne had invited 100 friends and family to the Saturday night celebration at St Peter’s Men’s Club, in Paisley.

However, the assembled guests were amazed when it was revealed they were actually at a marriage ceremony.

Jake, 52, and Joanne, 43, who had greeted them at 7pm, disappeared 45 minutes later to change into their wedding outfits.

It was then announced from the stage that one of the two engagement party DJs was civil celebrant Karen Roxburgh, who would be performing the nuptials.

The service took place at 8pm and the couple were man and wife 15 minutes later.

Only five guests, including Jake’s daughter Alessa, 19, and Joanne’s sister Marie, 54, were in on the secret.

Jake, who runs his own plant operating company, spent the first 30 years of his life in Uplawmoor, where his family owned the Old Barn Farm, before moving to Elderslie, where he now lives with Joanne.

His new wife said their wedding was a very emotional night.

She added: “When the guests arrived, Jake and I were in our casual clothes. We then disappeared and I put on my wedding gown and Jake put on his kilt.

“Our friend Kevin McLaughlin, who was DJ-ing and was also in on the secret, handed the mic over to Karen, who revealed her true identity.

“We then walked out in our wedding outfits and the place erupted. People were stunned.

“Karen did a great ceremony and then we had the buffet and drinks.”

Joanne said the couple decided to have a simple wedding as both had been married before.

She added: “There was no best man or bridesmaids. My dad Edward passed away in 2016, so there was no-one to give me away.

“We also hadn’t had a stag or hen night but it was definitely a wedding to remember.”

Joanne even kept her 82-year-old mum, Catherine Gallagher, in the dark about the nuptials.

The only other person who was in on the secret was the bride’s pal Anne Marie David, 43, who had the job of laying out the room.

The caterers were only told the day before.