ONE of Brighton and Hove’s most well-known couples will tie the knot today.

Heather James, former labour councillor for Hove and pillar of the community, is marrying Simon Schneider, antiques dealer on Dickinson’s Real Deal.

And despite being calm and collected in the build-up to the big day, Ms James admitted the butterflies were fluttering in her stomach as the wedding drew nearer.

She said: “I’m feeling quite excited. I have been a little bit chilled out about it up to now, but the nerves are kicking in a bit.

“I’ve always lived in Brighton and Hove so it will be lovely to get married at the Pavilion.

“We wanted to make it really special for us and our guests, I love the pavilion and with Simon being an antiques dealer he loves everything inside there.

“The rings that we’re both exchanging are from our family so it’s really nice, mine belonged to my mother.

“I can say with confidence that Simon didn’t find them on Dickinson’s Real Deal.”

Ms James, who is also chairwoman of the Brighton Fringe and an executive member of the Arts and Creative Industries Commission, has been with Mr Schneider for 18 years.

She said: “He has always wanted to get married so he’s always been asking me and now just seemed like the right time to do the deed.

“I’ve not been very well recently, so it really felt like it was the time to do it.

“There wasn’t an elaborate plan or proposal or anything.”

On their last night as singletons, the pair kept it low-key, with Ms James spending last night catching up with family and friends from Bradford and Manchester before the intimate wedding today.

She said: “There were no hair-raising hen or stag dos thankfully.”

In keeping with tradition, the bride will have something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue – but admitted she would be winging it a bit.

Ms James said: “I’ve got the most beautiful emerald necklace that Simon gave me not long after we first met, but the rest I’ll have to get on the day.”

Instead of jetting off to a tropical island, the couple will be keeping their honeymoon local with a few nights away in Sussex.