SHE WAS serenaded by a kilted bagpiper on their first date, and he popped the question on the moonlit deck of the QEII. Adrian is a 53-year-old road safety manager with twin sons from a previous marriage and lives with wife Dianne, a 47-year-old graphic artist, in Graffam Grove, Cheadle.

Where and when did you first meet?

Adrian: In September 1998. We'd been introduced by mutual friends, but we'd only spoken on the phone until I invited Dianne for drinks at the Old Hall in Sandbach. That was the first time we met face to face.

Dianne: It was a blind date, and I was impressed when a kilted bagpiper came to our table, assuming that it was something Adrian had laid on for my benefit. In fact he'd been hired for a convention in another the part of the hotel. But the piper stopped and played us a tune when we said it was our first date.

How soon did you become an item?

Adrian: Almost straight away. We'd got on well over the phone, and the first date was a big success. I especially like the fact that she'd got a better car than me – a BMW.

Dianne: I was pleased that he could make me laugh in person as much as he had done over the phone. Our second date was at the Fools Nook near Macclesfield and that was another success.

How did Adrian propose?

Adrian: Without telling Dianne, I booked us on a taster cruise on the QEII, an overnight trip from Southampton to France, intending to propose after dinner.

Unfortunately, we shared a table with an elderly couple who went on and on about their ailments and their operations and how lucky they were to be still living. I was willing them to finish their meals and go so that I could get down on bended knee and propose to Dianne.

Dianne: It was a wonderful surprise, but I couldn't understand why Adrian kept gesturing to me to slow down. Of course he wanted us to take our time over the meal so that he could propose after the other couple had gone. It was such a beautiful evening, with the moon shining on the water, that we took a stroll on deck and he proposed to me under Lifeboat Number 11.. I accepted, of course.

When were you married?

Adrian: In 2003. We had a civil ceremony at The Manor in Cheadle, and the went on a 17-night Adriatic cruise on the Oriana. I was born in Malta and spent six years of my childhood on the island, so when the ship stopped there I took Dianne to see the house where I was born. Unbelievably, I was recognised by a neighbour who made a great fuss and invited into his home.

Dianne: It was an unforgettable honeymoon. I think one of the reasons we have been so happy is that we enjoy doing things together, and we both love travelling. It's one of our passions, along with gardening. When we moved into our home, we did the garden first and then the rooms. Adrian is also a great cook. He just seems to slap a load of stuff into the mix and it always tastes brilliant.

Do you ever fall out?

Adrian: Not really. Dianne's very frank, almost blunt. She always speaks her mind, but I'm used to it, and to me she's perfect.

Dianne: When other members of the family are around and the conversation gets a little heated, Adrian simply won't go there. He just goes quiet and keeps out of any sort of conflict.

How did the website project come about?

Adrian: A colleague with a property in Florida wanted to let it out but he was very particular about who he let it to. He asked us to put some photographs of the property on CD to show to friends. That gave us the idea of providing a service for people who want to let holiday homes abroad, but are very choosy about who stays in their property.

Dianne: Our new website, www.viewmylet.com, allows holiday home owners to construct their own dedicated website and control access to it via a unique passcode.

We have joined the Entrepreneurs business Academy, met James Caan of Dragon's Den, and we'll be getting a millionaire mentor to assist us with the development of our website.