Couple dodges old wedding jinx

Fifteen years ago Craig Stevens and his bride-to-be, Wendy Coupe, were left with just five days to organise a wedding from scratch after the arrival of Hurricane Georges put an end to their dream betrothal in the Dominican Republic.

The besotted pair flew back from the devastated Carribean country to the UK, desperate to be married before their reception was due to take place just a few days later.

Thankfully, with help from family, friends and an understanding vicar at St Mary’s Church, Edwinstowe, the pair, who now live in Walesby, were married on 3rd October 1998.

But Craig (38) and Wendy (38) were flabbergasted when her sister’s wedding at Mansfield Register Office was delayed by a security alert 15 years later to the day.

Said Craig: “We had planned to go to my sister-in-law’s wedding after renewing our vows at St Mary’s.

“When we found out the building had been evacuated we were sure we had jinxed it, but the way Nottinghamshire County Council handled it was fantastic.”

While groom Karl Ferguson (44) waited at the Civic Centre on Thursday last week Wendy’s sister Sharon (44) and her bride’s maids were on standby in a side street near the building in the wedding car.

“It was brilliant,” said Sharon.

“All the people in the houses came out and asked us if we wanted tea or coffee - they were just so nice.

“We were there for an hour-and-a-half then we had a phone call inviting us into the mayor’s office at the Civic Centre for a glass of wine to calm the nerves.”

The Edwinstowe couple were eventually married that day at the register office and the wedding party of 20 was upgraded to a bigger room for the inconvenience,

Karl and Sharon hosted guests at their house afterwards for a reception then took a four-day trip together in a log cabin.

Sharon added: “The registrar talked about what had happened in the speech and everybody laughed.

“It was a day not-to-forget anyway but this just added to it really.”