A bride to be has blasted ‘haters’ who say her prospective husband – 36-years her senior - is too old for her.
Carly King, 22, is set to walk down the aisle on Saturday to wed retired firefighter Billy Potter, 58.
And Miss King, who is younger than her three future step-children, denies claims she is only after Mr Potter for his money.
The couple, from Woodbridge, Suffolk, met in 2011, when Miss King was just 18.
She explained:
"I had just passed my driving test and my car had a dodgy clutch. "My sister knew of Billy and said to take it to him. "I said 'can I trust him though?'"I was a bit worried about it because I didn't know who he was. "She said 'yes, of course you can'. "So I took it round and he looked at the car and I instantly found him quite attractive. "But I was a lot bigger then and had big, thick glasses on and was a bit of a mess. "So he didn't think anything of me at all."
However, the retiree changed his mind six months later when she was working behind the bar of Mr Potter's local, the Warwick.
She explained:
""At the end of my shifts, I would offer to give Billy a lift home a couple of times and that's how it started. "We are getting married so it's serious now. "But back then when word started to spread, it was more of a 'do you want to come to poker with me, do you want to come here with me'? "It was more of a companionship rather than a relationship. "We took it slow."
Mr Potter, who's battling Type 1 diabetes, said: "It was at least six months before anything happened between us."
A firefighter for 29 years before retiring in 2013, he's now a motor mechanic for Vehicle Surgeon in Hasketon.
"I would definitely not be getting married if we didn't love each other. "I lived with someone for 27 years. "Carly and I have been together for more than three-and-a-half years and you have got to do it right, haven't you? "You never know what's round the corner.
"Miss King, who now works at a residential care home for the elderly, admits there were problems at the start of the pair's relationship.
"Billy would not have been my mother's ideal choice for me, of course not. "But she realised how happy he made me and that made her happy. "My friends just want what's best for me as well. "At the start they didn't say too much in case they hurt my feelings. "They were obviously worried about the age gap like anyone else was, but now - two are going to be bridesmaids. "Then Billy's family had a barbecue and invited me over. "I met his family. "I knew of his sons anyway because they are a similar age to my older brother and sister. "I knew them all anyway which is why I wanted to keep it quiet. "I didn't want them to flip out."