IT was almost a case of “I don’t” rather than “I do” when a bridegroom from Southend planned a sky-high wedding for his wife-to-be.

BBC Three show Don’t Tell The Bride, in which the groom has three weeks to plan a wedding on a £12,000 budget, featured Kev Cole taking a huge risk opting for his nuptials to 30-year-old Trish to be 20,000ft up in an aeroplane with no friends or family present.

The plan after that was for the new husband and wife to skydive to the ground before heading off to their wedding reception venue, Stock Brook Manor, in Billericay, but it nearly ended in disaster when Trish found out what her man had in store for their big day.

During the episode, which aired on Tuesday night, Kev, 26, visited local shops ahead of his wedding, including Bridal Boutique, in Victoria Avenue, Southend, where he chose a wedding dress for Trish.

He also visited the Army and Navy store, in London Road, Westcliff, where he bought boiler suits for the parachute jump.

Employee Andy Turner, 62, was in the Army and Navy during filming, in April.

He said: “We had a phone call to pre-warn us the film crews would be coming in. It was really interesting because we’ve never been followed around with a film crewbefore and they were here for about 20 minutesl.

“The groom came in and they filmed him having a browse around and then he had to give a two-minute statement to the cameras about what he was looking for – he ended up buying about three or four surplus Army suits.

Quite a few customers asked us what was going on, but we couldn’t mention anything about it or else we’d give the game away.”

Trish, who was sent to Wickford’s Action Park for her hen do by Kev, was initially horrified by the plans, but eventually agreed to take to the skies.

Trish, originally from Kent, told Kev exactly what she thought of his unusual scheme for their big day.

She said: “It’s the most stupid idea you’ve ever had and it just so happens it was our wedding day.”