A COUPLE turned the tide as they became the first people to get married on a beach in Greenock - with their pet dog as a ring bearer.

It was new ground for Inverclyde as groom Allan Downie and bride Lee Trotter said 'I do' while the waves lapped onto the beach at the Royal West of Scotland Amateur Boat Club on the Esplanade.

In soaring temperatures passers-by stopped to watch the unusual sight of a marriage on the Costa Del Clyde.

To top off a unique day the bride came ashore by boat, was met with a guard of honour by oarsmen at the club and then went on to marry the love of her life.

The icing on the cake came when Allan and Lee's border collie Steve showed perfect timing to surprise everyone and arrived with the rings.

Blushing bride Lee, 45, said: "It was perfect and very personal.

"I didn't want to pay £20,000 for a prospective wedding then to be told when to sit and when to stand.

"We wanted it to be our day and it was.

"I felt like Royalty when I came off that boat.

"It was really important that it was chilled out day with everyone having fun and we couldn't get married without our 18 month old border collie Steve involved.

"He surprised everyone.

"When it came to the rings, the minister turned to the best man and then Steve came running down with them round his neck.

"He is so well trained that he didn't need to practice."

The couple love getting away from it all to beaches so decided that there was only once place to go for the ceremony.

Allan, a local architect, is a keen sailor with the boat club.

Lee, who worked as an alcohol and drugs counsellor, arrived by yacht and then made a change into her beautiful wedding down.

She walked down the pebble aisle and had a dream day as guests looked on.

The couple met at school and first dated 20 years ago.

In 2005 they found love.

She said: "We had the same social circle and we just thought we would give it a go."

Lee invited her friends from local self-help group Five Mummies Make to decorate for their reception.

Completing the circle of loved ones were the bride's parents Rona and Tommy Trotter and the groom's parents Eleanor and Richard Downie.

Others in the wedding party included best man Niven Lochhead, bridesmaid and Lee's sister Linsay McAteer, and flower girls Taylor and Ellis McAteer, her best friend Cara Lindsay's two daughters Nora and Freya and pageboy Logan Lundie.

The couple were married by family friend Reverend Eileen Manson.

She said: "It was lovely.

"It''s the first time I have ever had a wedding where the dog was the ring bearer - h was very well behaved and carried out his duties impeccably.

"Allan was a school friend of my late son so it was very special."

The couple would also like to thank Adam Graham and Heather Scott from the Royal West Boat Club for all their help arranging a day to remember.