DORSET ambulance driver Diane Smith had a wedding knight to remember.

Hubby-to-be Bob Wall arrived at the register office in Ringwood on horseback.

Wedding guests suspended belief as suspended ceiling fitter Bob clip-clopped along Christchurch Road towards them dressed as a knight of old, in plenty of time for the 3pm ceremony on Friday.

"Oh my, how fabulous," was one guest's comment.

Another gasped and said: "Oh look. That is brilliant. That is sooo good."

Diane, 47, thought so too when she arrived in a plush Jaguar and saw her knight in shining armour.

"I kind of knew something was going to happen, so I'm not overly surprised," she said before being lifted up behind Bob to pose for pictures.

The couple met in 1983 at a party in Burton, Christchurch.

"We didn't see each other for 12 years and we got back together four years ago," said Bob, who is 57.

"Diane said years ago that I was her knight in shining armour and I decided to prove it."

Planning the surprise took him five months.

He contacted Geoff Winship, of medieval jousting fame, after seeing his website.

Geoff was happy to help, hiring out the armour, the regalia and the very patient horse, Misprint, 26 years old and the soon-to-be-retired veteran of many a jousting contest.

Diane and Bob, who live in Christchurch, held their reception at the Old Vicarage Hotel at Hinton.

Among the 60 family and friends who attended were Bob's son and daughter Robert and Sam, and Diane's sons Dave, Paul and Michael and grandson Aiden.