By Emma Morley

Last updated 14:26, Friday, 10 October 2008

It was a nervous wait for the three couples chosen to appear in the final of the Cumbrian Weddings competition to win a pair of wedding rings at our Live the Dream Wedding Event.

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Melanie MacPake and fiance Mark Milne winners of the Knowing Me Knowing competion to win a pair of wedding rings

The couples were about to be grilled on stage in Knowing Me, Knowing You, where the bride and groom-to-be were asked three questions each about their partner, while said partner was taken off stage so they couldn’t hear the answers. They then had to come back and answer the same questions, hopefully giving the same answer.

Louise Hill, from Newtown near Irthington, and Arron Barker, from Annan; Lisa Bell and David Stubbs, from Carlisle, and Melanie MacPake and Mark Milne, from Carlisle, had impressed judges with an amusing or interesting fact about their partner.

The prize for the couple getting either the most questions right or, in the case of a tie, in the quickest time was wedding rings worth up to £1,000 from Jopson’s Jewellers in Carlisle.

Melanie and Mark were the winners, answering five questions correctly.

Melanie sent in an amusing fact about Mark’s life before they met.

She said: “While he was a student he had many strange odd jobs to earn money, including life-modelling, grave-digging and cutting lawns for old ladies. When he was a grave digger he had the unpleasant experience of putting his spade through a grave. I think that put him off the job.”

Melanie didn’t tell Mark about the competition until three weeks after entering and when she received the phone-call telling her that they had been selected to be one of the finalists she was surprised.

“I phoned Mark straightaway,” she said. “He couldn’t believe it.

“I thought it could be a bit embarrassing and we were nervous about going on stage and answering the questions, but it turned out to be enjoyable and we had a good day.”

The only question they answered differently was about the colour of their neighbour’s front door with Melanie answering brown while Mark said it was white.

Mark said: “I’m colour blind so it wasn’t the best question, but it didn’t matter that we didn’t give the same reply as we were ahead anyway.”

The couple, who are both 34 and work for Cumbria County Council, are now looking forward to choosing their rings .

Malcolm Jopson, of Jopson’s Jewellers, said: “When it comes to wedding rings we will look at the engagement ring so we can match them. Palladium has become popular because it has the benefits of platinum but is not as expensive.

“We look forward to talking through the options with the winning couple.”