A bride has said she has "no regrets" after going through with her wedding despite the groom-to-be backing out at the last minute.
Kayley Stead said she discovered she wasn't going to marry her partner of almost four years the morning they were due to be wed. But she is glad she went ahead with the ceremony as it meant her mum saw her "big day" before she died.
Despite the heartbreak, Kayley, 27, decided to go ahead with the big day, surrounded by her loved ones, including mum Dee, 65.
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She did her wedding entrance, meal, speeches, dances and even posed for professional photos without her groom. When it came to cutting the cake, she punched the top tier off it instead.
Her mum Dee died just four months after the wedding, and because Kayley went on with her big day despite being jilted, she got to see Kayley's big day before she passed.
Kayley, who works as an insurance clerk, also revealed she isn't ready to date yet and is instead committing to the biggest love of her life, herself. She claims she still hasn't spoken to her runaway groom, some five months after he ditched her.
But incredibly she said she doesn't "resent him". Kayley said: "He must've really been struggling with something. It must be hard for him right now because he's going through a break-up just as much as I am."
She might have missed out on her honeymoon but she helped her heartache by going on a girls' holiday to New York. She added: "When one door closes, a window opens. And I want to pull that window open as much as possible, and soak up all the sun."
Kayley and her ex started dating in December 2018 and got engaged when he proposed in August 2020. The morning of her wedding she found out he'd left his groomsman and hadn't returned.
After initially sobbing, Kayley eventually told the guests what had happened, and the wedding went ahead anyway. Kayley was joined by the groomsmen and bridesmaids as they sang and danced along to Lizzo's 'Good as Hell' on their way to the top table.
Kayley walked through her sparkler tunnel alone and partied the night away before spending the night in the bridal suite with her maid of honour. The last few months have certainly not been easy for her, but Kayley is determined to put the past behind her and live life to the full.
She said: "I'm taking free therapy sessions from my work, I'm journaling, I'm saying 'yes' to everything. I'm not Kayley-and-someone-else now. I'm just Kayley.
"I've had incredible highs and incredible lows. In fact, I'd love to go back and do the whole wedding on my own again, as I am now. I think I'd enjoy it 10-times more!"
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