I really hope my FOURTH husband will be my last, says multiple bride

When Helen Meissner walked down the aisle in a floor-length white gown and clutching a purple and white bouquet, the scene in front of her felt all too familiar. Being surrounded by family and friends and seeing the beaming groom waiting patiently for her at the altar all added to the feeling of déjà vu.

It wasn't because she'd been dreaming about her big day since she was a little girl but because she had been here before. Three times before to be exact.

There may be a social stigma attached to multiple marriages but Helen, 48, says she has never viewed it as a failing on her part.

"It's unrealistic to expect that the boy you fall in love with at university is the same man who can be a great father to your children, the same man you'll feel passionate about when the kids leave home and the same man you'd comfortably while away your days with when you retire," says Helen.

It appears she isn't alone in her way of thinking.

Only last week actress Patsy Kensit revealed that despite being married four times she is still looking for love while Jennifer Lopez, who has been married four times, recently stated that she hasn't given up on her happy ending.

Like her celebrity counterparts, independent record label boss Helen knows how it feels to be scrutinised for her numerous nuptials.

In the village of Walkern, Hertfordshire, where she lives, she has often been the topic of local gossip. "I know people have laughed about me behind my back," she says.

"Society is quick to judge harshly and see you as a failure. But if they need to do that to feel better, then that's fine by me."

The term "failure" is one that Helen strongly dislikes.

"My marriages ending doesn't mean I did something wrong. I've never set out to find a husband or to lose one, my relationships and their conclusions have just happened organically.

"I firmly believe that different people become 'marriage material' at different stages of their lives."

Helen's first wedding was in 1986 when, aged 20, she married her childhood sweetheart.

"At the time he was the man I wanted to live with for the rest of my life but I was young and naive," she says. The couple broke up in 1992 but remain firm friends.

In 1994, when she was 27, Helen married a work colleague and the couple went on to have two children together, Lauren, now 19 and Lewis, 17.

"My first husband and his new wife were the only witnesses at my second wedding and when I gave birth to Lauren I asked him to be the godfather," says Helen.

Unfortunately, cracks started to appear in that marriage too and the pair divorced in 2000.

"He really wanted to marry me. It was important to him and as I didn't want to have children out of wedlock I said yes. But the truth is we didn't bring out the best in each other."

Eager to create a stable environment for her children, Helen, then 37, married for a third time in 2003.

"We met through work but I soon began to realise that he didn't love me the way that he should and we split in 2007 and no longer speak," she says.

Thinking that was her lot, Helen resigned herself to life as a single mum. However as she entered her 40s she met Peter, 51, at a mutual friend's party and the pair soon started dating.

"I wasn't sure I even wanted to marry at this point but Peter, who had previously been married for 22 years, was ready to commit again," says Helen, who walked down the aisle a fourth time in 2008, two days before her 42nd birthday.

While they remain happily married seven years on, jumping from husband to husband in search of her Prince Charming has been tough on her family. "Mum and Dad are so supportive but each time I got divorced they were very disappointed and sad," she says. "Especially after my second divorce, I felt I'd let them down."

And then there are her former in-laws to consider. "I've remained good friends with one set of my in-laws and regularly go for dinner with them but I don't really stay in touch with the others."

The filing of divorce papers has also signalled the end of some of the friendships she forged through her ex-partners.

"It's hard for my friends too because they have made such an effort with all of my husbands," she says. By the time she walked down the aisle a fourth time Helen admits she almost couldn't face putting her family and friends through it again, which is why she insisted on a low-key ceremony.

"My husband wanted his 84-year-old father to be there so I agreed to an informal ceremony for him, followed by a party in our garden," says Helen.

Done on a shoestring, the event was a stark contrast to her first nuptials, a traditional wedding with all the trimmings including a huge hotel reception that cost thousands of pounds.

"My first wedding was everything I'd wanted since I was a girl but it would have been disrespectful and embarrassing to do the same thing again."

Which is why her second wedding was an intimate ceremony in a register office, followed by a meal with just four guests. The third was a simple civil ceremony performed in a local hotel followed by a reception with speeches.

From wedding to wedding, Helen's honeymoons also became less extravagant.

THE first was a break-thebank trip to Gran Canaria, the second a stay in Greece, the third a few nights in Paris and the fourth a last-minute discounted visit to Cyprus.

"I loved all of them but I learnt that it wasn't about the money or the show, it was about the feeling," says Helen.

Helen and Peter, now in their seventh year of marriage, are stronger than ever. Although her previous relationships have all ended around this time, Helen is hopeful that the seven-year itch won't strike again.

"Me and Peter would both love this to be our final marriage," she says. "I wouldn't categorically say this one will stand the test of time.

"Regardless of my views, my husband might decide he'd rather live with someone else. If the light of love has gone out, there's nothing you can do," she says.

Four years ago, however, Helen and Peter's relationship was put to the ultimate test when Helen was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. As she underwent treatment, Peter was there by her side to care for her.

"The cancer made me more appreciative of each passing day because I thought I could die," says Helen. "He's a kind man and I've learnt that, above all, that's what matters," she says.

"Passion may fade but when the chips are down, as they were for me, sometimes all you really need is kindness."

• Helen's independent record label, Folkstock Records, is releasing The F Spot Femmes Fatales, an all-female CD of acoustic singer-songwriters produced by her daughter Lauren Deakin-Davies. It is due out on March 8. For more information visit folkstockartsfoundation.com