NHS workers who had to cancel their wedding were left ‘in tears’ after neighbours they had only met the day before threw a surprise reception for them in the street .
Bride-to-be Alex Buckwell, 26, and David Collie, 36, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, were forced to postpone their £10,000 wedding ceremony in a Scottish priory following the government ban on weddings to stop the spread of Covid-19.
The couple had planned to spend two weeks in Vietnam after tying the knot in front of 100 friends and family members.
Alex Buckwell, 26, and David Collie, 36, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, outside their new home, during a surprise wedding reception thrown by neighbours on what should have been their wedding day
Alex had been planning the wedding in Ross Priory on the banks of Loch Lomond in Scotland for a year after David proposed on a holiday in The Bahamas (pictured)
Physiotherapist David and Alex, had planned to spend their wedding day on April 11 eating Waitrose fillet steaks in their new garden after moving in on March 23 – the last day possible before house moves were banned.
So the couple were confused when they heard the sound of bagpipes at 6.30pm followed by a knock on their door.
When they opened it, they discovered their neighbours had organised a surprise wedding complete with champagne, bagpipes, a ‘guest’ in a kilt, flowers, bubble machine and even a first dance to ABBA in the middle of the street.
‘It was the most touching surprise,’ said Alex, who works in HR for the NHS in Eastbourne.
She said: ‘To know that this was all organised by strangers made it even more incredible. I couldn’t stop crying.’
‘We’d moved into the house on the last day possible before house moves were banned and then we were in lockdown so we hadn’t met any of the neighbours.
The couple enjoyed their first dance in the sun to ABBA’s Dancing Queen as neighbours clapped in the street
Houses along the streets were decked with bunting (left). A vase with blossom and a bottle of fizz were left on the doorstep (right)
Alex continued: ‘I’d only mentioned it to the woman who lives opposite the day before what should have been our wedding day because she asked if we could swap car parking spaces.
‘It was just said in a casual five-minute conversation from across the street, and she secretly organised an entire surprise wedding for us. It was so kind, we were overwhelmed.’
Alex had been planning the wedding in Ross Priory on the banks of Loch Lomond in Scotland for a year after David proposed on a holiday in The Bahamas.
‘He’d dropped down on one knee during a walk along the beach on April 11 last year, and so we decided to get married on the same day this year,’ she said.
Cheers! Bunting seen hanging in celebration (left). The happy couple were overwhelmed by the kindness of their new neighbours
‘I’d bought my dress, and because David is originally from Glasgow he and his groomsmen were going to wear kilts and we’d booked a piper and a saxophonist.
‘We had arranged everything – from table plans to the menu for the three-course dinner and accompanying drinks, through to every detail of the honeymoon.
‘We had flights, hotel, outfits – the lot – ready and paid for when the coronavirus hit.
‘I was in tears having to postpone everything until next April, but David and I said we would make it special on the day and we went to Waitrose to buy fillet streak and a bottle of wine.’
Unbeknown to them, following Alex’s five-minute chat with Bernie Hellett, the day before, the neighbour had put notes through everyone’s letter box in Motcombe Road, asking them to celebrate what should have big the couple’s big day.
Alex added: ‘We didn’t know anything about it until we heard bagpipes and opened our front door and saw a table and chairs with a bottle of champagne and flowers.
‘Everyone had hung bunting, and were holding glasses of bubbly on their doorsteps to toast us with. Someone had Flower of Scotland playing on a speaker.
‘Then they played Abba’s Dancing Queen and everyone clapped as we had our first dance in the middle of the street.
‘We must have been making quite a bit of noise as the police drove past, but they didn’t stop and just carried on as we were all social distancing and being sensible.
‘I was in tears because I couldn’t believe how kind strangers were being. These were people I’d only waved at when we all went out to clap for the NHS on Thursday nights.
‘The only one I’d spoken to was Bernie. She asked how I was coping with lockdown and I mentioned we’d had to move our wedding.
‘It was a very special and magical moment and made me realise we’re so glad we moved here – we have the best neighbours ever.’
David, who’s been trained to do respiratory physiotherapy on patients with the killer virus says: ‘I was really taken aback by this amazing gesture. It was quite incredible.’
The road is already planning a street party to celebrate when the lockdown is over.