A lot for the shellebration.
British couple Shannon Williams, 28, and Stuart Martin, 33, claim that they had to scrap their $11,000 dream beach wedding in Cyprus last week after their flight to the Mediterranean island was canceled.
“I’m absolutely gutted. It’s been traumatic. I still can’t imagine it. I’m just distraught,” Williams confessed to Kennedy News and Media.
The couple, their two children, and members of the marriage party were set to fly Jet2.com Limited on Aug. 28 — but their flight was delayed several times because of “air traffic chaos” before ultimately being canceled.
That meant they were stranded within the Birmingham Airport within the UK while their wedding guests waited for them at Sirens Beach ahead of the Aug. 31 nuptials.
“The airport was manic,” Williams explained. “There have been people complaining they will’t go on holiday, and nobody understood it was greater than just a vacation for me. It was my wedding that I couldn’t get to.”
Williams and Martin remained optimistic, hoping to catch the subsequent flight, but unfortunately, there have been no flights to Cyprus until after their wedding date, in line with Kennedy News.
“All we got was a text message saying, ‘Because of air traffic control, the vacation is cancelled. You’ll receive a full refund,’” Williams lamented.
“I used to be in absolute bits considering, ‘What am I going to do? My wedding is Thursday. I’ve already got 30 family and friends on the market.’ They said, ‘There’s nothing we are able to do,’” Williams recalled.
“There’s no flights until Friday. I can’t get married on Saturday and other people go home on Sunday, so I’m just going to need to postpone the marriage.”
Williams and Martin pushed the marriage to June 2024, anticipating less glitz and glam than they initially envisioned.
“I don’t think it’ll be as big because it was since it’s getting people back on the market who’ve already paid hundreds,” Williams moaned.
The couple, who’ve been together for 13 years, were capable of transfer their wedding payment to the brand new date, but say they still lost a big amount of cash.
Williams claims she paid over $300 for hair extensions, nearly $200 for nail services for herself and her daughter, $250 in legal fees, and more expenses for a bus, videographer, saxophonist and a selfie mirror.
“I’ve lost money on the bridesmaids’ dresses and youngsters outfits, which won’t fit them next yr,” Williams shared. “It’s all gone to waste.”
The devastated bride remains to be grappling along with her traumatic experience.
“I’ve got no excitement for it now. I’ve deleted all the marriage pages off my Facebook — I don’t need to see it,” she sighed.
The couple got engaged in October 2021 — and Williams knew from the moment Martin popped the query they were going to get married in Cyprus because “it’s so picturesque.”
In an announcement to Kennedy News, a Jet2 rep apologized for the unlucky situation.
The airline said it “did every part we could” to assist the couple, including offering a refund and seats on the subsequent available flight. Neither option would have allowed the family to make it to Cyprus on time.
They decided to simply accept the refund to make use of toward a family vacation to cheer up their two children, Carter-Rae Martin, 6 and Rhyia-Mae Martin, 10.
“My kids needed to see me in a horrible state once we canceled the marriage,” Williams added. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be coming to Cyprus.”
