Kayley Stead had spent her life financial savings on her marriage ceremony and wasn’t about to let all of it go to waste… even with out a groom.
The jilted bride found she wasn’t going to marry her companion of virtually 4 years when her mother-in-law-to-be broke the information he’d fled on the day of the marriage.
Regardless of the heartbreak, Kayley 27, determined to go forward with the large day on September 15 at Oxwich Bay Lodge in Swansea, together with her family members round her – after spending £12k on the celebrations.
Lovingly supported by her bridal social gathering and household, Kayley went forward together with her marriage ceremony entrance, meal, speeches, dances and even posed for skilled pictures with out her groom.
She entered the social gathering singing alongside to Lizzo’s Good As Hell together with her bridal social gathering, punched off the highest tier of her marriage ceremony cake, and spent her first dance with the groomsmen, her brothers, Craig, 47, Matthew, 46, Gary, 46, and one other Craig, 43, and her dad, Brian, 71.
Now residing alone with no rationalization from her ex (who has refused to remark) and her honeymoon cancelled, Kayley is coming to phrases with what has occurred.
Her mates have rallied round her, barely leaving her facet and establishing a GoFundMe web page to attempt to recoup a number of the cash spent on the day.
Kayley, who works as an insurance coverage clerk and lives in Portmead, Swansea, mentioned she noticed the groom at 4pm the day earlier than the marriage however hasn’t heard from him since.
She mentioned: ‘We’ve tried to achieve out to him, however I’ve had no response from him, no purpose why.
‘I’ve had no rationalization – not that I need one now, as a result of it’s too far alongside the road.
‘It was an absolute shock, I had no indication he was going to do that however seeing my ladies distraught as nicely made me need to flip the day round.
‘I didn’t need to keep in mind the day as full disappointment.
‘The entire day, we have been saying it felt like an episode of Hollyoaks or EastEnders. It didn’t really feel like an actual life state of affairs.
‘There have been so many particular moments, like my marriage ceremony entrance, the sparkler stroll, the primary dance and punching the marriage cake – so there was nonetheless happiness within the day.
‘I’d spent all this cash, I’d been wanting ahead to the meals, a dance with my dad, spending time with my household, so why not?’
Kayley and her ex had been collectively for nearly 4 years and received engaged when he proposed in August 2020.
The evening earlier than the marriage, Kayley stayed in an AirBnB celebrating together with her bridesmaids whereas the groom and his groomsmen stayed in a caravan close to the venue.
Kayley mentioned: ‘The groom and I had already agreed to not converse the evening earlier than the marriage anyway, so I didn’t know what was occurring on his finish, I didn’t have a clue.’
Unbeknownst to Kayley, the groom left the caravan that night and by no means returned, leaving the groomsmen to contact the bridal social gathering with the dreadful information.
‘We awoke at quarter previous six when the make-up artist arrived, had breakfast collectively after which began preparing,’ Kayley mentioned.
‘One of many groomsmen contacted my greatest buddy to say the groom was gone, and the bridal social gathering hid my telephone so they might resolve what was one of the simplest ways to inform me and I wouldn’t discover out from another person.
‘They needed to ensure he was undoubtedly gone earlier than panicking me.
‘I discovered my telephone and noticed I had a missed name from his mum. I known as her again and she or he was crying and informed me he had gone for a drive within the early hours of the morning, and he was gone.
‘At that time, I wasn’t nervous, I used to be nonetheless fairly hopeful, as all through our relationship, he had typically gone for a stroll or a drive to clear his head when he was nervous.
‘For a few hours, I used to be saying he was going to be there, and I used to be reassuring the women. I truthfully believed, hand on coronary heart, that he was going to be there.’
Kayley requested everybody to proceed preparing, believing the groom would present.
At round 11am, Kayley had simply sat to have her hair finished together with her make-up all completed when she spoke to the groom’s dad on the telephone – who mentioned her companion had been in contact and wouldn't be attending the marriage.
Kayley mentioned: ‘At that time, I used to be gone. I used to be sobbing.
‘As soon as I informed my dad and mom, the hairdresser and the videographer, that’s once I needed to inform myself that it wasn’t going to occur.
‘As a joke, the videographer mentioned “Why don’t you keep on, ladies? You’ve spent all this cash, you’re not getting it again, all of your company are there, why don’t you simply go?”
‘My sister was redoing my make-up, as a result of at that time it was all simply gone, and she or he mentioned: “Why don’t you do it, Kayley?”
‘That’s once I was like, I’m going to do it. I’d spent all this cash, I’d been wanting ahead to the meals, a dance with my dad, spending time with my household, so why not?’
Kayley’s bridal social gathering known as the groomsmen and informed them to go to the marriage venue, the place they might keep on with the day, whatever the groom turning up.
The 2 events headed into the ceremony room collectively and informed the company what had occurred earlier than asking them to go out to the backyard to fulfill Kayley as an alternative.
Kayley mentioned: ‘I didn’t need to see the ceremony room – I’ve by no means seen how that seemed.
‘I requested for 10 minutes to myself earlier than I noticed my company, after which somewhat than strolling down the aisle, I walked not far away in my costume and had all people simply taking a look at me.
‘No person knew what to do, I believe they have been a bit scared to say one thing, after which all people simply began cheering and hugging me.’
The groom’s household had left by the point Kayley made her grand entrance, however the entire groomsmen stayed, in addition to all of her mates, household and family members.
With their help, Kayley carried on with the day she had deliberate and made modifications all through to show a devastating day into a gorgeous one.
As a substitute of the normal bride and groom’s entrance, Kayley was joined by the groomsmen and bridesmaids as they sang and danced on their solution to the highest desk.
She mentioned: ‘We have been simply doing issues off the cuff, actually. It was all based mostly on intuition, and we simply went with it.
‘You possibly can most likely see just a few tear streaks down my face, however I like the pictures.
‘I used to be by no means going to make a speech, however I needed to thank everybody for staying as a result of they didn’t should. It was a really awkward state of affairs for them to be in, however all of them stayed.’
The picture sales space had initially displayed ‘Mr and Mrs’ with what would have been the couple’s married identify however was shortly changed with an indication that learn ‘Kayley’s Shindig’.
Quite than sharing her first dance with the groom, Kayley as an alternative danced together with her dad, brothers and the groomsmen to Love You To The Moon And Again by Dolly Parton.
Kayley mentioned: ‘I’d at all times dreamed of dancing with my dad at my marriage ceremony.
‘He’s 71, and I at all times had a concern that he and my mum, Dee, 63, wouldn’t be at my marriage ceremony, so I at all times needed to have my dance with him.’
As a substitute of strolling by means of the sparkler tunnel together with her groom, Kayley strutted by means of alone and partied the evening away together with her company earlier than spending the evening within the bridal suite together with her maid of honour and considered one of her greatest mates.
Kayley is now adjusting to a newly-single life with out her groom and sadly can't go on the honeymoon to Turkey.
‘I had no clue, no sign,’ she mentioned. ‘He confirmed me no purpose as to why he would depart me on that day.
‘A few days earlier than, we have been going for meals collectively, he was speaking in regards to the honeymoon, and he purchased me a e book final Christmas with 1,000,000 causes as to why he cherished me inside, all handwritten with our particular moments.
‘After I came upon he wasn’t coming to the marriage, I made a decision I didn’t need to keep in mind the day as full disappointment.
‘There have been so many particular moments, like my marriage ceremony entrance, the sparkler stroll, the primary dance and punching the marriage cake. There was nonetheless happiness within the day.’
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