A couple have shared how they surprised their friends and family by announcing they were getting married on their actual wedding day and sending a 00.13am WhatsApp message invite.
Ruth Ridyard, 35, a construction estimator, from Manchester, and her now-husband Martin, 38, had decided they wanted their wedding to be a relaxed affair, which didn’t stress out them or their guests.
“We’ve both been married before, and we wanted it to be casual and chill,” Ruth explains. “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.”
Having decided exactly how they wanted to spend their special day the couple, who met through Bumble, set about secretly planning the surprise wedding over a period of three weeks, even contacting family member’s bosses to book the day off work without their guests finding out. Ruth also made sure some guests were free by pretending she was taking them off for a spa day, or drinks.
On 22 February 2024, the same date as their first date in 2022, the couple went to bed before messaging 24 of their loved ones just after midnight, to tell them about their wedding taking place later that day.
“People took it well, and it was a good response,” Ruth explains. “I got a lot of funny reactions from people saying they would do their fake tan at 1am, but they were all fine with it. And thankfully the people we invited didn’t speak to anyone else, so it was kept secret and we were able to keep the surprise.”
The bride-to-be told her four children they were going to a trampoline park on the wedding day, but bought scratch cards for the morning of the wedding, which revealed the truth. Ruth jokingly admitted they were a bit disappointed to be hearing they were actually going to a wedding and not the trampoline park as expected.
On the morning of the wedding, Ruth enjoyed a few glasses of champagne and having refused to answer any phone calls from friends and family says she found it “relaxing” as she got ready to walk down the aisle.
The couple got married at a registry office, before having their reception at a pizza restaurant before going on to do karaoke at a pub, where the bride sang Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.
“We wanted the day to be like any other night but equally something we’d all remember,” Ruth says of their big day. “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.”
Ruth and Martin’s wedding costs
Registrar – £400
Food and drinks – £1200
Outfits – £500
Ubers – £200
Hotel – £300
Total – £2600
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