A SHOCKED York mother-of-four took a gamble on love when her partner made a surprise appearance in Las Vegas to tie the knot.

Diane Waddell-Brown, from Badger Hill, was on holiday in the casino capital of the world to celebrate her sister Denise's 50th birthday, when her partner, Andrew Brown, phoned out of the blue with the immortal words: "Will you marry me?"

The car salesman was inspired to fly out to meet Diane after talking it through with his mates in the pub.

He quickly called his boss in the early hours of the morning to arrange emergency time off, and was down on bended knee within a day to pop the question to Diane in person.

They were married hours later in The Little Church of The West, on the famous Las Vegas strip, surrounded by Denise's birthday guests.

"I thought he was winding me up at first," said Diane, who has four daughters; Leonah, 11, Rihanon, ten, Summer, seven, and Emily, five.

"I went out and bought a pink dress and two rings. It was a magnificent day and the best thing that has ever happened to me.

"It happened so easily and there was no time to worry or panic about it."

Denise, who celebrated her birthday on the day of the wedding, was a bridesmaid, along with Diane's best friend, Sarah Richardson.

Andrew said he booked the flights to Vegas in the early hours of the morning.

"It was a fantastic day and I wouldn't have had it any other way," he said.

"We took a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon after the ceremony. We couldn't have asked for a better wedding."

Diane and Andrew join the likes of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Anne Beaulieu, Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward and Bob Geldof and Paula Yates who got married in Las Vegas.

Updated: 10:26 Monday, February 07, 2005