A couple who had to postpone their wedding five times thought they were "doomed" as the bride-to-be got stuck in traffic when their big day finally arrived.
Laura Luckhurst was heading to marry her other half on Saturday when a lorry caught fire on the M20 in Kent, causing her to be jammed in traffic for more than four hours.
The 28-year-old had tried to marry her partner of 12 years-and-a-half Michael for five times in the past year.
They had first originally aimed for Hayne House in Hythe last summer, but the emergence of coronavirus and the following lockdowns meant they had to repeatedly reschedule.
Mrs Luckhurst said she "tried not to panic" while cooped up in her wedding dress in the back seat of her wedding car.
Have your wedding plans been disrupted by Covid? Email webnews@mirror.co.uk
In a desperate bid to stay calm, she also cracked open a can of cider while waiting for the emergency services to clear the scene and the vehicles to start moving again.
Michael Luckhurst and all the guests - except his fiance, page boy Joshua, bride's dad Paul Wraight and cousin Michael Reeves - were all patiently waiting at the venue.
The 29-year-old groom said: "We were originally looking at August of last year, then we moved to November, then December, then March...and then finally this weekend.
"After all the postponements that happened already I just thought we were doomed. It felt like a higher power didn't want it to happen."
The pair were supposed to tie the knot at Archbishop's Palace in Maidstone when traffic was stopped on the London-bound carriageway.
And after finally tying the knot nearly five hours later than planned, the happy couple had to pose for their wedding photos under an umbrella as the heavens opened.
Nursery worker Mrs Luckhurst said: "It was incredibly difficult. I was there with my second cousin Joshua who was my page boy, his dad Michael and my dad Paul.
"I was trying so hard not to panic. I feel like I did a good job of staying calm on the outside because I didn't want Joshua to worry, but inside I was shaking.
"My dad is diabetic as well, and we were so lucky that he had some chocolate with him - because if he had taken a turn for the worse that would be another emergency."
Naturally the bride, who was decked out head to toe in white, drew a lot of attention from her fellow stranded motorway users when she stepped out to stretch her legs.
She said: "I'm not a massive fan of too much attention, but after about two hours I couldn't stay cooped up any more.
"A few people came over to talk to me, and one lady was even kind enough to give me a cider; which was something I needed, believe me.
"Just before we started moving again, a little girl gave me a drawing that she had done of me in my dress, which is something that I will definitely cherish, it was lovely."
Two lanes of the carriageway were finally reopened at around 2.30pm, but by the time the bride reached her destination, it was past 5pm.
Accountant Mr Luckhurst said: "It was about quarter past five when we actually got married. The venue was supposed to close at five, but they were so lovely and understanding."
Best man Darren Parris said the couple had to deal with constant changes and unwelcome surprises in the lead up to Saturday.
He said: "They are a great couple, wonderful together and they have just been so unlucky over the last 14 months or so."
One of the worst moments for the couple was when they had finally planned to marry in December, but a last-minute move by the government once again put things in jeopardy.
Mr Parris added: "You talk about having to delay or move things at the last minute, but that is really quite literally what they had to do.
"They were due to have it at Archbishop's Palace in November and again on December 20, only for the government to announce Tier 4 quite literally the evening before the ceremony."
Regardless of the strife leading up to their big day, the couple say that they could not be happier together.
Mrs Luckhurst added: "We're so very happy. We've been together 13 years this year and engaged for three, it's been a long time coming all in all."
Mr Luckhurst praised the staff at Archbishop's Palace and the registrar for helping pull off their big day despite the huge delay, describing them as "brilliant".
