THE eyes of the world will be concentrated on Prince Harry and his bride Meghan Markle when they tie the knot on Saturday May 19. That is, all except Steve Jones and Jade Franklin who will be busy saying their own vows at exactly the same moment.

Maybe not on such a grand scale but just as important for them, the couple with their family and friends will not be distracted by the ‘other’ 12 o’clock midday wedding when they are conducting their nuptials at Hereford. Even so, the bride-to-be accepts that some guests might find themselves slightly diverted by the FA Cup Final on the same day.

“It won’t be as extravagant, but it will be special to us,” says 33-year-old Jade, a supervisor at Debenhams. While Meghan walks up the aisle in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, on the banks of the River Thames, Jade will walk up the chapel aisle at The Forge, a wedding venue beside the River Wye in Holme Lacy Road.

Jade and 38-year-old Steve, who works in polythene extrusion at Leominster, actually planned the big day before the royals made their announcement. Having met through a dating website, the pair got together in April three years ago and were engaged by that Christmas. “We thought about the wedding date for a few months and chose a date close to when my Nan had passed away,” says Jade.

Her sister, Bonnie will be matron of honour and her eight-year-old son, Leo, a pageboy. while Emma Blossett and Steve’s two daughters, Ellie and Gracie will be bridesmaids. On the day, Jade will be under no illusions about the appeal of the world’s oldest football cup competition. There will be no big screen for fans at the wedding reception when Manchester United and Chelsea kick off, but she concedes that a few might keep up with the action on their mobile phones.

While the bridegroom is a Liverpool supporter, his brother-in-law Steven Cuss, an usher on the day, and Jade’s cousin’s husband, Mark Bateman will both be rooting for the Red Devils.

“They’ll have to watch on their phones in a corner!” she says.