Ref. 21626-67A VERY important wedding is now less than two weeks away.

On August 2, Evening Advertiser Bride of the Year Lucy Griffin will marry her childhood sweetheart Neil Zerebecki.

And the couple from Covingham cannot wait.

"I can't believe it has come round so quickly," said Lucy. "It doesn't seem that long ago we were told we'd been picked for the final.

"All the preparations have gone so smoothly so far."

Lucy and Neil have a history together that reads like a fairytale.

From babies, they grew up together, became good friends, fell in love, and decided to marry and live happily ever after.

Lucy, a former Kingsdown School pupil, said: "I have loved Neil since I was a little girl and in a way I always knew we would be together, but when you are young you are too shy to say anything.

"Our family used to always say we were childhood sweethearts and that it was meant to be."

Then, four years ago, the couple shared their first romantic kiss while watching the Nicolas Cage action film Con Air.

Their love blossomed and it wasn't long before Neil had proposed at a harbour wall in Cyprus.

Lucy, a dental nurse, said: "The proposal was so romantic. Neil had remembered that I had loved the place when I had been on a previous holiday so he chose it with great care.

"Our families can't wait for the wedding day. Everyone is getting so excited.

"My mum is counting down the days with me now. She is going to turn my old bedroom at home into a wedding changing room, with long mirrors and hooks for all the dresses, where we can all get ready in the morning.

"The highlight over the last few months has been watching the progress of my dress. I'm really happy with it and because I've had a hand in designing it, it feels very personal."

While Lucy was left at home, Neil, 23, went shopping for suits.

The former Dorcan School pupil popped into Young's Hire at Suits You, in the Outlet Village, with brother and best man Darren, his dad Martin and father-in-law-to-be Tony, to try a few tops and tails for size.

The customer services manager at Nationwide's Chippenham branch said: "I've chosen ivory for my waistcoat and cravat, with a black suit. I can't give too much away about the others' colours as it's the same colour as the bridesmaids dresses.

"We've received all the invitation replies and only one or two people can't come.

"I'm very excited. It's nearly all arranged now, with just the tying up of loose ends to finish.

"My stag night's planned. We're going for a curry in Old Town and then on a pub-crawl. As Lucy's on her hen night the same time in Swindon we've got to try not to bump into each other. And I can't wait for the honeymoon in the Maldives."

During the last few months they have tried, tested, tasted and smelled cakes, chocolates, flowers, confetti, clothes and cars from the best companies in Swindon.

Now all the couple need to do is make sure they turn up on time for the service at St Andrew's Church in Wanborough.