GROOM Luis Sheppard presented his bride with the ultimate wedding gift the day after their nuptials – the chance to talk to her pop hero.

Devoted Westlife fan Laura was so shocked she could hardly speak when her new husband took her to the Wyvern Theatre on Sunday and told her she was going to meet former lead singer Shane Filan who was in Swindon for his Love Always tour.

The 32-year-old, who walked down the aisle to the band’s hit Beautiful in White, was even more starry-eyed when the star hugged them both and congratulated them on their marriage.

“I think I’m too shocked to cry. It was just absolutely amazing,” she told the Advertiser after the encounter. “To be such a fan and to be able to meet him after all these years and to do it in Swindon, our home town and where we got married is just overwhelming.”

Bus driver Luis confessed: “I’ve been lying to her all week.” He said one of Laura’s friends had tagged him on Facebook to alert him to the concert. “I just thought wedding present first off.”

In May he bought a pair of tickets. Meanwhile Laura, who also knew about the show, thought she shouldn’t go because it would be the day after her wedding. She also knew Westlife wasn’t her fiance’s thing. “I thought I couldn’t spend it away from him.”

Luis had planned to keep the concert a secret from her but a slip up from another member of the family spurred him to try to make the evening even more special.

So he contacted the theatre. Impressed with his romantic gesture, staff arranged for the couple from Covingham to be at a VIP meet and greet and then enjoy a meal in the restaurant with a bottle of Prosecco before the concert.

To get her in to town three hours before the start of the concert, he hit on the idea of telling her he had booked a table at a restaurant, encouraging her to dress up.

Laura, who works at the Defence Academy in Shrivenham, thought they might be going to her favourite ice cream parlour and feared she was slightly overdressed.

She said: “I’m gobsmacked. I’ve seen them 12 times at concerts. I’ve never met them. I’ve never been lucky enough to have the opportunity.”