Couple Engaged for 35 Years Shocks Guests by Throwing Surprise Wedding Disguised as Birthday Party (Exclusive)

Ashlyn RobinetteThu, April 23, 2026 at 8:11 PM UTC

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Robert Sharp and Alexandra Stewart; Birthday balloons at the wedding ceremonyCredit: Claire Blyth at Content by Claire -

Alexandra Stewart and Robert Sharp shocked their loved ones with a surprise wedding disguised as Stewart's 60th birthday bash

The couple, who were engaged for 35 years, quickly planned the event when they realized that both sides of their families would be in town at the same time

A viral video captured guests' stunned reactions

Guests arrived to a 60th birthday bash, only to discover that it was a surprise wedding.

After a 35-year engagement, it was a long time coming for Alexandra Stewart, 60, and Robert Sharp, 55, of Campbeltown, to tie the knot. The couple "just didn't get 'round to getting married" over the years, but saw an opportunity to wed when they were planning Stewart's 60th birthday party in Scotland.

"[We] sent out the 60th birthday invitations to all we wanted to be there, with them not knowing it was a wedding they were actually attending," Stewart tells PEOPLE.

The couple, who have been in a relationship for 37 years, exchanged vows in front of their closest family and friends on April 4 in The Crosslee Suite at The River Inn in Renfrewshire. A video of the unsuspecting guests entering the ceremony space has about 45,000 likes on Instagram, with many of them gasping and their jaws dropping.

"One of the most memorable [reactions] was my friends Barbara Sloey, Hilda Galbraith and Donald Brown hesitating coming in because they thought they were in the wrong place because it was set up for a wedding," Stewart says.

Alexandra Stewart and Robert Sharp on their wedding dayCredit: Claire Blyth at Content by Claire

Sloey exclaimed in the clip, "I'm not dressed for a wedding. Sandra, I can't believe it! I've got trainers on! Look at me!"

Stewart and Sharp didn't care that most guests' attire wasn't fit for a wedding. In fact, they argue that "the whole point of the surprise" was to "take out all the drama and stress of finding an outfit."

Sharp wore a tan suit with a patterned tie. Meanwhile, Stewart opted for a white gown featuring a V-neckline and flutter sleeves. When she first went wedding dress shopping in Glasgow with Sharp's niece, Michelle McAlister, they couldn't find anything she liked. However, the bridal assistant said they had a dress that was more Stewart's style at their Carlile store, about 100 miles away.

"Robert said, 'Get in the car, we're going to Carlile,' " Stewart remembers. "I tried the dress on and it was what I was looking for, and it fit. In and out the dress shop in 15 minutes."

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Her hair and makeup was done by Pauline Bryceland and Stacey Makeup, respectively.

After the ceremony, guests enjoyed a carvery dinner. Stewart says, "People [are] still talking about how good it was." For dessert, they had slices of the three-tiered wedding cake, which was made by their friend Nikki Peacock of Cloud Nine Cake Centre in Glasgow. She made time to help the couple after local bakers told them "it was too short notice."

A killer DJ kept the dance floor packed. Sharp also performed a set with his band, Unison Anthems, which "put the party to another level."

"Fun was had by all," Stewart says.

Alexandra Stewart and Robert Sharp cutting their wedding cakeCredit: Claire Blyth at Content by Claire

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Initially, when Stewart and Sharp were planning the original birthday celebration, they thought they'd need to arrange two separate family meals — one in Houston and one in Campbeltown — to accommodate both sides of their families. When they learned in January that everyone would actually be nearby each other on the Campbeltown meal date, they decided to combine everything into one event at The River Inn.

Sharp then suggested that they might as well get married and turn it into a surprise wedding because it was a rare time that their loved ones would be together in the same place.

"We contacted our friend, Julie McLellan in Campbeltown, who is the registrar for Argyll and Bute. She told us we had time if we contacted Renfrewshire council to get things rolling as she needed special permission to marry us out with her region," Stewart explains. "And Julie managed to [get] that all in place."

She adds, "Don't know why people get stressed by arranging a wedding, ours was totally stress-free."

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”