A couple stunned their friends and family by revealing their wedding on the day itself with a 12.13am WhatsApp message invitation.
Ruth Ridyard, 35, and her now-husband Martin, 38, aimed for a “chill” day that wouldn’t burden their guests with stress. They secretly organised the event over three weeks, even covertly arranging time off work for relatives by contacting their employers without the family’s knowledge.
The pair, who connected via Bumble, went to bed and then messaged 24 of their closest people just after midnight, to tell them about the wedding later that day. Choosing not to respond to the flurry of calls they received, they simply provided the address and time for the gathering.
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Ruth, a construction estimator, from Manchester, said: “We’ve both been married before, and we wanted it to be casual and chill. We were chatting in the kitchen and thought of the idea, and we didn’t ask each other; we just went along with it.
“We knew we wanted to do it and would make a day of it. However, we have more important things to pay for. The good thing was that the people we invited didn’t speak to anyone, so that was kept secret, and we could keep the surprise.
“I texted everyone at midnight. People took it well, and it was a good response. I got a load of funny reactions from people saying they would do their fake tan at 1am, but they were all fine with it.”
The wedding was held on February 22 2024, the same date as their first date in 2022. Ruth made sure some guests were free by pretending she was taking them off for a spa day, or drinks.
She told her four children they were going to a trampoline park – and jokingly admitted they were a bit disappointed to hearing they were actually going to a wedding Ruth and Martin bought them scratch cards to reveal the secret.
The morning of the wedding, Ruth enjoyed a few glasses of champagne and found it “relaxing” as she got ready. She said their phones were “going mental” but they refused to answer.
They got married at a registry office, before having their reception at a pizza restaurant with “shed loads” of booze, and then karaoke at a pub, where Ruth sang Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.
Ruth said: “We wanted the day to be like any other night but equally something we’d all remember. We had the best day and so did our guests. I might be biased, but it’s the best wedding I’ve ever been to.”
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