It was a Pixie Day surprise, among others, for an Ottery bride after her husband-to-be themed their wedding around the day they met for a television show.
Sam and Luanne Bateman were selected from 23,000 applicants to appear on Don’t Tell The Bride, which sees the groom in control of the big day, with the results testing couples for better or worse.
Bridegroom Sam, 27, had £13,000 and three weeks to give his wife-to-be her perfect day on May 19.
The couple, who are parents to Mia, one, met at Pixie Day seven years ago and were not even engaged when they got on the show.
But, they impressed the shows producers when they both said they wanted to get married in Ottery St Mary Parish Church, which is where Luanne’s parents married.
Tasked with wedding planning Sam jumped into action with his two best friends.
Luanne, 23, said her dream wedding would be classy, traditional and memorable and ‘nothing weird’ and was not sure what her ‘disorganised’ and ‘big kid’ partner would do.
Fast forward to the big day and Luanne was greeted by a hoard of screaming pixies and drove herself to the church on a mobility scooter after Sam’s plan to put her on a moving float was stopped for health and safety reasons.
She said: “When I saw the bridesmaids I had guessed it was pixies, but I thought that was it.
“I just did not expect the pixies to be running up outside, I was in shock.”
Sam said one of the toughest parts was keeping tabs on the budget and after shelling out on the venue, reception, hen and stag dos, dresses and suits and transport - it left a limited finances to buy Luanne a veil and a mad dash to Tesco to buy three celebration cakes to act as their wedding cake.
He said: “I chose all of it. Everything was me and my two mates, whatever we wanted we got.
“I spent about £700 on the stag do to Benidorm and that took a big bit of it, if you think about it, it was a lot of money. I went a bit mad on the drapes and inflatables for the reception that I totally forgot about the cake.”
Despite a few hitches, the couple got hitched and said they would not change the day at all.
There was more good news after the wedding as Luanne and Sam are expecting their second child in January.
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