A couple has been dubbed Britain’s unluckiest newlyweds after their wedding involved serious injury, lost rings and missed honeymoon flights.
Amelia Desmond, 41, and Jim, 40, had to postpone their vows three times due to Covid – but that was just the start of their bad luck.
The limo driving groom Jim to church didn’t show, leaving a group of less-than-pleased guests waiting in the pews for an hour.
And before getting to the altar they lost their rings.
But the disastrous wedding ended with a hospital visit after Jim’s romantic gesture to carry his bride to bed went awry when he stumbled over her gown, dropped her and she broke three ribs.
The couple also missed two flights to get them to Ibiza for their honeymoon and also lost their wallets and passports.
And on their return they had to call a locksmith because their keys were still on the Balearic island.
But there’s more – the couple lost a handbag, left a suitcase in a taxi and managed to miss a coach while on the Spanish island.
Despite the long list of setbacks, the couple – who have been together for 13 years – say they have zero regrets.
Catering manager Amelia from Wallingford, Oxfordshire, said: “Everything was planned, but everything that could possibly go wrong, did – it was one thing after another.
“Friends and family have asked ‘How did you not just give up?’ but we knew we would never do that.
“I admit there was one point where I just burst into tears – it was the final straw when we got back and realised the car and house keys were nowhere to be found.
“Despite all the struggles and stress, it was most definitely worth it to marry my best friend, and the fact we never gave up shows how strong we are.
“We see the funny side now and we laugh about it all the time – it was still the best day of our lives.”
Amelia and Jim, got engaged in 2017, and share a nine-year-old daughter and have five more children from previous relationships.
They ordered their £900 rings from an online seller, only but the delivery was signed for by an unknown neighbour in their flats.
Unable to trace them, they had to order some more for next day delivery from Amazon the DAY before their wedding, which thankfully arrived in time.
But on the big day, it was the couple who didn’t show up for their ceremony.
A limousine was ordered to take council worker Jim and his eight groomsmen to the church, but it didn’t show leaving them to order a convoy of taxis.
Thankfully Amelia was told to wait at home, and the ceremony finally kicked off 50 minutes late.
She said: “I remember looking through the window and seeing all the guests who I knew had been waiting for ages – and my legs turned to jelly.”
After the hotel reception with 130 guests, the wedded couple checked into the honeymoon suite.
Jim romantically scooped Amelia up into his arms to drop her on the bed, but his feet got caught on her long gown, and he dropped her on the solid oak bed frame.
He said: “I decided I was the muscle man she always wanted and swept her off her feet.
“As the steps towards out bed continued, I was begging the bed to meet me in the middle.
“My walk became a sprint as I was losing grip rapidly, then the unimaginable happen – my wife’s dress got caught under my feet.
“I dropped her at quite some speed.”
She thought she had just been winded, but when she woke up in agony and unable to move, she rushed to hospital and was diagnosed with three broken ribs.
She said: “I literally couldn’t move – I thought I was paralysed.”
After the host of other issues that came after – from losing handbags to missing flights – Amelia said she did have a moment involving some tears over “how many things had gone wrong”.
“It was supposed to be relaxing!,” she added
Amelia said: “Everything was planned, but everything that could possibly go wrong, did – and it was incredibly stressful at times.
“But after it being postponed so many times we were determined to enjoy it, and it was an amazing wedding and honeymoon despite the mishaps.
“I think after the doom and gloom of Covid-19 we were just thrilled to be able to see our friends all together and celebrate, followed by a week of sunbathing.
“All the disasters were worth it – I got to marry my soul mate and the man of my dreams!”